Fears for an isolation Christmas as outbreak numbers increase

QUEENSLANDERS could spend the festive season in isolation with warnings a significant outbreak of Covid-19 could come within weeks as southern states battle to contain the highly-contagious Omicron variant.

But authorities are holding their nerve and insist the state will stay open despite New South Wales recording 1360 Covid-19 cases on Wednesday and predicting daily numbers could reach 25,000.

Hundreds of Queenslanders could avoid Christmas in quarantine if the state government fast tracks plans to slash quarantine requirements for close contacts.

Scott Morrison is urging the state to ease its strict 14-day isolation requirements for close Covid contacts now, moving with the medical advice in southern states, which have halved the period for fully vaccinated people.

The push from the Prime Minister comes as Queensland health authorities late Wednesday added two close contact exposure sites in Brisbane.

Queensland is not planning on reducing its isolation period for close contacts to seven days, with a test on day five, until January 1.

“Our medical advice and what we’re seeing in other states and territories means that we can add a bit more,” Mr Morrison said. “Let’s not forget, in New South Wales and Victoria, it’s seven days with testing. So I would encourage them to take that up.”

In a sign of the rapidlyevolving approach to the virus, Queensland Health reversed its decision to require two planeloads of passengers to quarantine after a person infected – thought to be with Omicron – flew to Brisbane and then Townsville from Newcastle.

Queensland chief health officer John Gerrard warned Queenslanders to brace for significant case numbers.

“We will be seeing that in the coming days and weeks and I think we can reasonably expect that Omicron will spread in Queensland,” he said.