Queensland records 16 new COVID cases linked to Indooroopilly cluster

Queensland has recorded 16 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19, which Deputy Premier Steven Miles described as “very encouraging news”.

All 16 new cases have been linked to the Indooroopilly Delta cluster in Brisbane, including students at Ironside State School and Brisbane Grammar.

The total number of cases connected to the Indooroopilly Delta cluster is now 79, making it the biggest coronavirus outbreak in Queensland since the first wave hit last year, while a record-breaking 52,350 tests were performed overnight.

Only three of the latest cases were infectious in the community for one day and one was infectious for two days.

On Wednesday night, Prime Minister Scott Morrison called Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, with Queensland able to bring forward some of its Pfizer vaccines to August.

Queensland Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young delivers the latest coronavirus update for Queensland.Credit:Matt Dennien

“These are not additional vaccinations but they will allow for Queensland Health to do more vaccinations in August, so that is very good news,” Mr Miles said.

Also reported on Thursday were 11 overseas acquired cases linked to a ship anchored off Gladstone, where most of the crew are vaccinated.

Following concerns thousands of people stuck in mandatory home quarantine in some of Brisbane’s hardest-hit suburbs were facing a week’s wait for essential grocery deliveries, Mr Miles said the state government was working closely with Coles and Woolworths and would also launch its Care Army and non-government organisations to assist.

Overnight, several new contact tracing sites were added, including shops at the Logan Hyperdome, the Stafford City Shopping Centre and Gallery of Modern Art at South Bank.

The lockdown of 11 council areas in Queensland, including Brisbane, the Gold and Sunshine coasts, Ipswich and Logan, was due to end at 4pm on Sunday but health experts earlier suggested it was likely to be extended unless there was a dramatic decline in the number of new cases.

However, Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said on Thursday she did not expect to be “this far ahead of the virus” at this stage.

“We have still got a long way to go but we have done really, really, really well until now, so let’s see how we go in the next few days,” she said.

“Let’s see if we can lift those restrictions on Sunday.”

Felicity Caldwell is state political correspondent at the Brisbane Times

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