CATHOLICS from South East Queensland will mask-up at Masses across the next two weeks as three new local cases triggered increased restrictions starting from 1am tomorrow.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk confirmed one of the cases is the highly-infectious delta variant and was active in the community.
From tomorrow, Noosa, Sunshine Coast, Ipswich, Logan, Redlands, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Scenic Rim, Lockyer Valley and Somerset local government areas will return to the four-square-metre rule and masks.
This means church staff will need to ensure parishioners are spaced out appropriately.
Chief health officer Jeannette Young said the delta case, a female miner, was one of the 170 fly-in-fly-out workers based in Brisbane.
“So we are rapidly testing all 170,” Dr Young said.
She said the female miner went to get tested immediately after being contacted.
“She was only out in the community for one day,” she said.
“She was with her family and they started a road trip that immediately came back.”
The delta variant requires only fleeting contact to transmit between people, as short as five or 10 seconds.
Queensland Health has emphasized the need for businesses to start using the Queensland Check-In app if they have not already.
Churches should also begin using this app if they have not already.
A cluster of delta variant cases in Bondi has led a major outbreak in New South Wales, which currently sits at 130 cases.
More to follow.
