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Queensland Covid cases continue to grow as lockdown decision looms

Queensland has reported two new cases of community-acquired Covid-19 with a decision looming on whether the three-day lockdown may be extended.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk told reporters the two new cases of coronavirus are linked to a nurse from the Princess Alexandra Hospital. One of them is a nurse from the same hospital ward.

"We're very pleased with the results and I think that all Queenslanders should be proud of the mighty effort that they've put in," she said.

“There have been 33,408 tests. That is a massive, massive number.

"The fact that we do not have any unlinked community transmission in the southeast or in our state is absolutely encouraging news. Thank you Queensland."

A third case reported on Wednesday is a traveller in hotel quarantine.

People are seen walking through the Brisbane CBD wearing masks in Brisbane, Australia.
People walk through Brisbane's CBD wearing masks during day one of the city's three-day lockdown. Source: Getty Images

Explaining Queensland's two Covid-19 clusters

Dr Jeannette Young said the PA Hospital nurse cluster now stands at 11 while another cluster, linked to a doctor at the same hospital, has eight.

Both clusters have the B117 strain of Covid-19, which is also known as the UK variant.

Two more cases, which were considered historic and which Dr Young thought were connected to the doctor, have now been confirmed to not be positive cases of Covid-19.

The normally busy Brisbane CBD is seen looking quiet in Brisbane, Australia during lockdown.
Queenslanders will know if the lockdown will be extended on Thursday morning. Source: Getty Images

It also means only six cases of community-transmitted coronavirus were reported in Queensland on Tuesday and not eight as was originally thought.

“They're not cases, which means that we now have eight in that cluster, that first cluster related to the doctor who acquired the infection at the PA Hospital," Dr Young said.

"So those two clusters look like they've all been worked through and all of the cases are linked and we do not have any other cases out in the community anywhere in Queensland that are unlinked."

A woman is seen taking a Covid test at the Murarrie Covid Testing Clinic in Brisbane, Australia.
Health authorities are pleased more than 30,000 tests were undertaken in Queensland over the past 24 hours such as this one in Brisbane's suburb of Murrarie on Tuesday. Source: Getty Images

Dr Young added the Byron Bay hens party, which led to a Gold Coast man becoming infected, had 10 people in attendance with six now confirmed positive cases.

"Six of them are positive and of those positive, one has been admitted to Toowoomba Hospital and the other to Bundaberg Hospital," she said.

The second nurse, who is also part of the cluster, had received a Covid-19 vaccination before being infected but had not received her second dosage yet.

"It usually takes a week after the first dose before you get a significant degree of immunity,” Dr Young said.

“Then you need to have a second dose of the Pfizer vaccine three weeks later and it takes another week after that. If it's the AstraZeneca (vaccine), you need to get that second dose 12 weeks after the first dose and it takes another week after that. So she hadn't had a chance yet to have full immunity.”

The PA Hospital remains in lockdown as of Tuesday night.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is pictured.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the signs are encouraging ahead of Easter. Source: AAP

When will lockdown in Queensland end?

Greater Brisbane, Logan, Ipswich and the Moreton Bay Region are currently in a three-day lockdown which is due to end on Thursday at 5pm.

The premier said an update on the lockdown will be made on Thursday at 9am.

“We'll be making those decisions tomorrow," she said.

"But if it's encouraging news tomorrow, we will be lifting the hotspot for Greater Brisbane.”

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