Australia Covid live update: Annastacia Palaszczuk reports three new Queensland cases as Brisbane lockdown extended for 24 hours | Australia news

The Queensland deputy premier, Steven Miles, says the state’s hotel quarantine reached capacity last night, due to a combination of international arrivals and people travelling from hotspots in Australia:

“Overnight our hotel quarantine system hit capacity with international arrivals, domestic arrivals from hot spots and close contacts who required hotel quarantine. Today we are expecting 259 arrivals, including 58 air crew. Unfortunately we can’t predict how many domestic arrivals will come from hot spots or how many contacts will need that hotel quarantine accommodation.

“We know we have 285 rooms becoming available but it will take seven days for our police and hotel quarantine coordinators to get a new hotel up and running and so it’s absolutely critical that we see that cut in the number of international visitors and we would hope that the prime minister agrees to that at national cabinet today.”

Queensland chief health officer, Dr Jeanette Young, has provided some exposure sites provided by the people who tested positive to Covid-19 today:

• The Harris Farm markets at West End, on Sunday 26th from 11.50am until 1.50pm.
• Then they went into the Woolworths in that same complex five minutes after that period.
• Then on Monday 28th they spent most of the day at the Greek Orthodox Community Centre, Tuesday, again, most of the day at the Greek Orthodox Community Centre.
• Tuesday from 7.20am to 7.30am they were at the Espresso Engine coffee shop, from 9.30am at the Woolworths metro Turbot street. 12.30pm, JB Hi Fi, Albert Street, then 12.42pm at the Zara street Mecca shop.

Palaszczuk says she will be seeking a 50% reduction immediately for hotel quarantine capacity at today’s national cabinet meeting:

“Our hotels are stretched. We are basically at capacity. The deputy commissioner will give the numbers on how many we are at but we are at that capacity, we are stretched. We need an immediate reduction by 50%. I will be raising that this morning at national cabinet.”

The Queensland premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, says a partner of an airport worker, and a mother and a daughter from Carindale have tested positive for Covid-19 overnight. The latter two had “been out quite extensively around Brisbane”, so contact tracers need more time.

She said it’s a mixed bag as to what it means for Queensland. The lockdown WILL end for Noosa, Sunshine Coast, Ipswich, Logan, Redlands, Gold Coast, Scenic Rim, Lockyer Valley, Somerset and Townsville.

But the lockdown will continue for another 24 hours for Brisbane City Council and Moreton Bay local government areas, while contact tracers determine close contacts.

The areas emerging from lockdown will have restrictions for at least the next two weeks, and will need to wear a mask when in public.

The prime minister, Scott Morrison, has left The Lodge this morning after completing 14 days of quarantine after his G7 trip. He gave a short statement ahead of national cabinet meeting this morning:

For national cabinet today it is a very important meeting. The country is very much keen for us to path that way out of where we are and Australia has done incredibly well over the course of these last 18 months but now we need to change gears for the road ahead.

I was very encouraged yesterday by the record day of vaccinations. The vaccination program is really gathering pace. Some – almost 3.5 million doses administered in the month of June.

At that pace we get there by the end of the year and I think that is very encouraging. So today we just need to focus on the job for the Australian people and I have every confidence that the national cabinet will do just that.

Q: Are you confident the states will be all right to work with today?

I’m very confident that we will keep working together for what Australia needs to take us through what has been one of the most difficult times in our history. But national cabinet has done it before and I’m sure we will do it again today.

Morrison said he will have another Covid test in a few days, as national cabinet has previously agreed for people exiting quarantine.

AAP also reports New South Wales police commissioner Mick Fuller will end his 34-year career in the police in April next year.

Fuller, 53, plans to stand down in April next year, the Daily Telegraph reported on Friday.

“I feel there are very capable officers in the organisation who could take over now if I was run over by a bus,” he said.

Fuller joined the NSW police force in 1987 and progressed through the ranks to become commissioner in 2017.

It is believed the NSW government has accepted his decision and will begin the process to find his successor later this year.

AAP has a bit more of prime minister Scott Morrison’s comments regarding national cabinet goals today, and reports the prime minister emerged from his 14-day quarantine yesterday, following his trip to the UK for the G7.

“It’s time to start laying it out for the Australian public,” he told the Australian on Friday.

“It comes down to the medical science and what are the magic numbers. We have already done modelling on the Alpha variant and are now doing it on the Delta variant, which will set a threshold marker going forward.”

Morrison late on Thursday completed 14 days of quarantine at The Lodge in Canberra, after returning from an overseas trip, and will head to Parliament House this morning to lead the meeting.

Hello, and welcome to the live blog for Friday 2 July. My name is Josh Taylor and I will be bringing you all the latest news in Australia on what is set to be another busy day.

National cabinet will meet today after what has been a robust debate between the states and the federal government after the prime minister, Scott Morrison, announced an indemnity on GPs to provide the AstraZeneca vaccine to under 40s, which not only blindsided the states but also GPs, who have had to deal with a rush of younger people wanting to get the jab.

Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia are likely to push for a reduction in the capacity for hotel quarantine for the next few months, with the Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, seeking between a 50% and 80% drop until the vaccine rollout reaches scale.

Morrison has told the Australian he is going to push for a “magic number” national cabinet can agree to for the vaccination rate at which there will no longer be lockdowns, and people will be able to travel domestically and internationally.

Andrews said on Thursday he does not have a set number, but believes lockdowns will end once everyone has the opportunity to be vaccinated.

It is a nervous wait for residents in Darwin, Perth and south-east Queensland today, with the Queensland, Western Australia and Northern Territory governments set to decide whether the snap lockdowns will end today as planned.

Queensland reported two additional cases of community transmission on Thursday, while WA reported no additional cases to the four-case cluster in the northern suburbs on Thursday, and NT reported one new case connected to the Tanami mine cluster.

Alice Springs will remain in lockdown until at least 1pm Saturday.

Let’s get into it.