The Premier of Queensland, Annastacia Palaszczuk, has taken to Twitter to reveal that Queenslanders will soon see some COVID-19 restrictions lifted, but don’t flock to the beaches yet.
While Sydney-siders have seen their beaches unlocked for swimmers and surfers, Queensland is next on the list to see a lift in some restrictions.
With Queensland seeing some “encouraging signs of flattening the curve,” the sunny state will see “some restrictions” eased as soon as next weekend, and it’s certainly time to rejoice, because this means things are getting back on the right track.
According to Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s post, “social distancing still applies, but we’re giving the green light for some recreational activities and extending the distance you can travel from home” up to 50kms, so no, this doesn’t mean that it’s road tripping time.
From Saturday, May 2nd, Queenslanders can officially leave their homes for a bit of recreation, including going for a drive within 50kms from their homes or ride a motorbike, jet-ski, or boat for recreational purposes, as well as enjoy picnics, visit national parks, and even shop for non-essential items, so feel free to finally go and get that new top you’ve been after.
BREAKING: Following encouraging signs of flattening the curve, some restrictions will be eased in Queensland from next weekend. Social distancing still applies, but we’re giving the green light for some recreational activities and extending the distance you can travel from home. pic.twitter.com/A5PBxgEuLZ
— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) April 26, 2020
The sunshine state has been seeing a steady decrease in confirmed COVID-19 cases for the past two weeks, deeming it a good candidate for lifted restrictions, seeing as the curve has been flattened significantly.
The Premier’s report for today noted that there were only three new confirmed cases overnight, bringing Queensland’s total cases to 1,030 out of 98,422 tests with six deaths.
Although residers will be allowed to get some of their old life back, the Premier has stated that “outings are limited to members of the same household or an individual and one friend,” so don’t get crazy and try to have a street-wide barbecue.
“All rules regarding social gatherings and limits on visitors remain in place, Palaszczuk continued. “We will closely watch the numbers of new infections and review the measures after two weeks.”