While almost everyone has been staying home to help flatten the COVID-19 curve, the restrictions have been someone limiting and hard to stay sane.
Now that the curve is flattening, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has announced stay at home restrictions will ease. This has given hope that life is on the run to normality. However this ease of restrictions still have their own restrictions and while the door to your home is no longer like a scene from The Fellowship of the Ring, ‘You shall not pass’, you still need to know the rules.
From 11.59pm Friday, May 1, Queenslanders will be able to leave their homes for recreation and the distance they can travel has been extended.
For example, Queenslanders will be able to enjoy some relief from stay-at-home rules and:
- Go for a drive;
- Ride a motorbike, jetski or boat for pleasure;
- Have a picnic;
- Visit a national park; and
- Shop for non-essential items
But there are three conditions that apply linked to the above:
- Social distancing and hygiene must be maintained
- You have to stay within 50km of home and
- Outings are limited to members of the same household or an individual and one friend
All other rules including gatherings and limits on visitors remain in place during this time.
While this is a good sign that the majority of the state has been doing the right thing, it also means that everyone needs to keep doing the right thing or the ease may be cancelled.
The Premier said numbers of new infections would be watched closely and the measures reviewed after two weeks.
“The first sign of a spike we will not hesitate to clamp back,” the Premier said.
“This is a test-run to see what effect easing restrictions has on the containment of COVID-19.
“I encourage all Queenslanders to back this first step so that we can keep the virus away and help everyone start to get their lives back.”
