Australia’s third largest city to block coronavirus for three days

CANBERRA / SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia’s third-largest city will enter a three-day closure on Friday as authorities try to prevent the spread of a more contagious variant of COVID-19 first detected in Britain.

Brisbane’s two million residents will be banned from leaving their homes for anything other than essential business after a worker at a city quarantine hotel tested positive for the new strain of the virus.

“If we don’t do it now, it could end up being a 30-day closure,” state Prime Minister Annastacia Palaszczuk said when announcing the closure would begin at 6 p.m., local time.

Palaszczuk has said that people should wear masks when they leave home to do essential business. Funerals and weddings can be continued, but with limits of 20 and 10 people respectively. Entertainment venues will be closed and restaurants and cafes will only be able to bring takeaway food.

Authorities have not detected any new cases since Thursday, when they reported the case of the worker in a hotel that made up forty people who had recently arrived from abroad, but said they could not afford to delay the action.

“We can’t put it back in the box. We have to act before we get the cases done, ”said Queensland Health Officer Jeannette Young.

Officials have identified and isolated 79 people who have close contacts with the worker.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has tweeted about the blockade “which will gain the necessary time” as the case increases the focus on Australia’s procedures for returning citizens and residents from abroad.

Morrison convened a special meeting of state and territorial leaders on Friday to consider tightening rules for international arrivals.

Australia has closed its borders since March to all non-residents and permanent residents. It has also limited the number of people allowed to enter the country each week and returnees must enter mandatory hotel quarantine at their expense.

Although the system has been widely accredited to prevent major outbreaks, most of Australia’s more than 28,500 cases can be traced back to quarantine hotels.