What Queensland needs to lift final part of lockdown

The last of Queensland's lockdown may be lifted today if contact tracers working overtime have been able to isolate anyone connected to the state's latest COVID-19 cases.

Just when the doors were about to be opened, three new coronavirus cases were announced on Friday morning, which meant Brisbane and Moreton Bay would stay shutdown for at least another 24 hours.

Every other local government area had their lockdown lift at 6pm, including the Sunshine Coast despite a fourth new case announced on Friday afternoon of a man in his 50s from Aroona.

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"We really need, our contact tracers … to really get on top of this issue quickly," Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said on Friday.

Two of the new cases were a mother and daughter from Carindale who had "been out quite extensively around Brisbane", Ms Palaszcauk said.

It wasn't immediately known how they were linked to existing clusters.

Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young praised huge testing rates in Townsville that helped it avoid a worrying outbreak from the Prince Charles receptionist who travelled there with her family while she was infectious.

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"The amount of testing that has been done up there has been absolutely fantastic," Dr Young said.

Contact tracing will be crucial in deciding if the Brisbane and Moreton Bay lockdowns can be lifted or if the strictest restrictions drag on into Sunday or next week.

Sunshine Coast on high alert

The man who tested positive on Friday afternoon works at the Sippy Downs campus of the University of the Sunshine Coast and was at work on June 28 and 29.

Anyone in the Caloundra, Mooloolaba, Sippy Downs or Maroochydore areas is urged to come forward for testing even if they have only the slightest symptoms.

Dr Young said she was confident in the Sunshine Coast lifting out of lockdown.

"The man was only in the community while potentially infectious for two days before the lockdown began, at his workplace, and briefly during lockdown," she said.

"Because of this, I am confident we can continue with the eased lockdown for the Sunshine Coast this afternoon, and we'll continue to monitor the situation.

"Contact tracing is already underway and we are contacting everyone that we can identify."

Coles at Sippy Downs has now been classed as a low risk venue.



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