Coronavirus Australia live: Three-day lockdown for Brisbane, new alerts in NSW - NEWS.com.au

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced Greater Brisbane, including Logan, Ipswich, Moreton and Redlands would be locked down from 6pm until at least Monday after a hotel quarantine worker was infected with the mutated strain of coronavirus.

“We know that this UK strain is highly infectious. It is 70 per cent more infectious and we are going to go hard and we are going to go early to do everything we can to stop the spread of this virus,” Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszcuk said.

Residents in the locked down regions will still be allowed to leave their home for shopping but supermarkets in Brisbane and even on the Gold Coast were inundated with people “going crazy”, as massive lines at supermarkets forced limits.

Meanwhile, a Woolworths, a Coles and major Westfield Shopping Centre are among the latest venues affected by Sydney’s outbreak.

Read on for all the latest updates.

Live Updates

NSW Health has released a new list of alerts for several venues in Sydney's Inner West and one in the Northern Beaches after they were linked to confirmed cases of COVID-19.

The venues include Kmart, Coles and Westfield Shopping Centre in Burwood, as well as Costume in Avalon.

People who visited the venues at the times listed were told to monitor for symptoms and get tested if they occur.

Anyone who visited Burwood's Bing Lee store or Artisaint Cafe at the times listed is now considered a casual contact and should get tested immediately and self-isolate until they receive a negative result.

The guidance also included revised advice for Indian and Malaysian restaurant Sydney Marina Dine In & Take Away in Pendle Hill.

Anyone who attended the is now also considered a casual contact and should self-isolate until they get their test results.

NSW Health has been advised of several new venues in Sydney’s Inner West, and a venue in the Northern Beaches, which have been visited by confirmed cases of #COVID19. pic.twitter.com/GwPjkhxBpg
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) January 8, 2021

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Traffic was at a standstill on Friday night as Greater Brisbane residents tried to escape the city as the lockdown came into force at 6pm.

The Royal Automobile Club of Queensland wanted of "incredible scenes" on the Bruce Highway between Brisbane an the Sunshien Coast, which is not in lockdown, with reports of speeds dropping to just 40 kilometres per hour.

There were also traffic jams heading south the M1 towards the Gold Coast, with the chaos lasting from lunchtime well into Friday evening. Police on the Gold Coast warned they would be conducting extra police patrols and using number plate technology to identify and intercept drivers from Brisbane.

The congestion between Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast finally eased at around 8pm.

More than two million residents are now in lockdown after a cleaner at a quarantine hotel contracted the contagious UK coronavirus police.

Incredible scenes on the Bruce Highway between #Brisbane and the #SunshineCoast with traffic almost at a stand still in parts. We’ve had reports of speeds getting to just 40kph! Very slow going, so pack your patience and keep your cool. pic.twitter.com/vM4D1QBn6J
— RACQ (@RACQOfficial) January 8, 2021

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Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszcuk has warned state residents that the three-day lockdown doesn't just apply to those in the Greater Brisbane area.

She said that any Queenslanders who had been in the relevant council areas since January 2 should go into lockdown as well. These include Logan, Ipswich, Moreton and Redlands as well as the city.

Her words came as people across the state panicked ahead of the new rules coming into force, with massive queues forming at supermarkets and hundreds of passengers fleeing interstate from Brisbane Airport.

Earlier, she tweeted a photo of herself wearing a mask, with the words "We've got this!"

Our three-day lockdown doesn’t just apply to people who are in Greater Brisbane right now. If you’re somewhere else in the state but you’ve been in the relevant council areas since 2 January, we ask that you go into lockdown as well. We don’t stop the virus until we stop moving. pic.twitter.com/tnvC3iRVlL
— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) January 8, 2021

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South Australia reported three new cases of COVID-19 today, all of which are returned travellers currently quarantining in medi-hotels.

The new infections are in a man in his 40s, another in his 60s and a woman in her 30s.

South Australian COVID-19 update 8/1/21. For more information, go to https://t.co/mYnZsGpayo or contact the South Australian COVID-19 Information Line on 1800 253 787. pic.twitter.com/PIXvWNGWLP
— SA Health (@SAHealth) January 8, 2021

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They bring SA's total number of active cases to 12 (all overseas travellers in hotel quarantine) and overall case tally to 585.

SA Health also said in their update that genomic sequencing results indicated a "further two of our previously announced cases have the more virulent UK strain".

Sky News reporter Trudy McIntosh shared a chaotic image of Brisbane Airport last night, where "hundreds of people" were waiting to flee the state ahead of greater Brisbane's three-day lockdown.

This is Brisbane Airport right now – hundreds of people fleeing interstate after hotspot declared nationwide for greater Brisbane pic.twitter.com/E5F3nRkuWo
— Trudy McIntosh (@TrudyMcIntosh) January 8, 2021

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The stay at home orders were being introduced from 6pm onwards, and they will last until 6pm on Monday, in a bid to curb the spread of a highly infectious strain of COVID-19.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison asked all holiday-makers in Queensland to "stay where you are" today, urging them not to flee the state.

"Don't go anywhere. Don't go home to another state or any other part of your state. Over the next few days, stay where you are," the PM told reporters yesterday afternoon.

"If you're somewhere else and you are planning to go there, don't."

There were also reports that traffic was backed up for 40km along a Queensland highway, and motorways were brought at a standstill as people attempted to flee the Sunshine State's capital.

In response to the supermarket chaos that unfolded in Brisbane yesterday, Coles and Woolworths brought back a two-item limit on a lot of products.

Despite the lockdown still allowing people to leave the house in Greater Brisbane to get groceries, people still flooded stores to stock up – as is usually the response.

Woolies introduced limits on these products.

+ Toilet Rolls

+ Paper Towels

+ Tissues

+ Liquid Soap

+ Anti Bacterial Wipes

+ Fresh and Long Life Milk

+ Eggs

+ Pasta

+ Noodles

+ Rice

+ Flour

+ Sugar

+ Bread

+ Canned Vegetables

+ Canned Tomatoes

+ Canned Fish

+ Mince

+ All meat including sausages, burgers

+ Chicken Breasts and Thighs

+ Pre-packaged Seafood

+ Frozen Vegetables

+ Frozen Chips

+ Frozen Fruit

+ Frozen Desserts

Coles introduced limits on these items.

+ Dairy Milk

+ Chilled Pasta

+ Poultry Thighs

+ Poultry Breasts

+ Mince

+ Burgers

+ Sausages

+ Long Life Milk

+ Pasta

+ Flour

+ Rice

+ Sugar

+ Eggs

+ Hand Sanitiser

+ Liquid Soaps

+ Paper Towels

+ Tissues

+ Toilet Paper

+ Frozen Vegetables

+ Frozen Chips

+ Canned Meals

+ Canned Fish

+ Canned Vegetables

+ Pre-Packed Seafood

+ Noodles

+ Face Masks

The #Brisbanelockdown has sent people mad. Here is the lineup for Woolies at the #brisbane airport I was sent this morning. pic.twitter.com/GruADx2Pc7
— Kirstin Payne (@kpayneoz) January 8, 2021

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Just a normal queue looping all the way to the back hecking freezers at our local Woolies (not my photo, I am very much not there) #Brisbane pic.twitter.com/c77bxHAcGD
— Zenobia Frost (@zenfrost) January 8, 2021

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People also reported long lines on the Gold Coast despite it being well outside the Brisbane hot spot.

One person said in Brisbane things were "going crazy", taking them 20 minutes to drive 1km down the road to get into shopping centre.

"Line to Coles and Woolies now out the door, people are in a panic," they tweeted.