Queensland authorities are increasingly optimistic they have the upper hand on two COVID-19 variants after reporting just one locally acquired case on Sunday.
All parts of Queensland are now out of lockdown after cases of the highly contagious Delta strain, and the Alpha strain, were detected in the state’s southeast.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has told Queenslanders they are not out entirely out of the woods but Sunday’s figures are excellent news.
The sole case of community transmission involves the less contagious Alpha strain and is linked to a known cluster involving a Greek community centre and a Portuguese restaurant.
The second was overseas acquired and detected in hotel quarantine.
“It appears everything is under control at this point in time so we are very, very relieved about that,” Ms Palaszczuk said as she reminded people in areas that were locked down to keep wearing masks.
From Friday, it will also be mandatory for everyone to use the Queensland Check In app when they visit businesses including restaurants and bars, cafes, shopping centres, salons, gyms, stadiums, theme parks and universities.
Heath Minister Yvette D’Ath said owners must enforce the requirement.
“Get that QR code up outside your business and also make sure that someone is checking that people have actually checked in before they walk around your supermarket, restaurant, cafe, business,” she said on Sunday.
Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young also revealed a previously reported case involving a worker at Brisbane’s domestic airport was a false positive.
“We have gone and done repeat testing, multiple repeat testing on different platforms and it has confirmed that that was a false positive,” she said.
That leaves Queensland with 46 active cases but that could rise by one.
Dr Young is waiting on further tests on another close contact associated with the Greek community centre to determine if they are also positive.
However she was confident enough with the situation to let Sunday afternoon’s NRL match between the Broncos and Sharks proceed at Suncorp Stadium without crowd restrictions.
She said the game was ticketed and all attendees could be easily traced, with everyone forced to check in on arrival, and there’s never been a coronavirus outbreak at any Queensland stadium.
“I am as comfortable as I can be that they are no riskier – in fact, I think safer than a lot of our indoor venues,” she said.
Opposition leader David Crisafulli said Sunday’s numbers were very welcome but small and family-owned businesses continue to hurt and especially during and in the immediate aftermath of a lockdown.
He’s repeated demands for the premier to immediately stump up money for smaller operators, saying Queensland was on its own in terms of refusing to provide that support.
“Businesses are prepared to accept the health advice for the greater good but when a decision is taken beyond their control, they need to know they don’t have to carry the full burden all on their own,” he said.
Lockdown orders lifted for Brisbane and Moreton Bay at 6pm on Saturday and a day earlier for nine other local government areas in the southeast, Townsville and Magnetic and Palm islands.
Australian Associated Press