Jeannette Young issues Bunnings, essential shopping warning as case numbers continue to rise

Queensland’s Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young is questioning residents whether buying pot plants is “really essential” as the state records 16 new locally acquired cases.

Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young says she’s “confident” Queenslanders can get out of lockdown by Sunday if everyone follows strict lockdown measures and avoids leaving home for non-essential purposes.

But Dr Young addressed a slim majority of residents who are “going and buying pot plants”, urging them to consider whether their actions are really essential.

“I just like people to reflect a little bit more about – is it essential? Because last year I didn’t have any problems with Bunnings being open and people going and buying pot plants and doing some gardening but that was with previous variants,” she said.

“We just need to ramp it up. This is Delta. It’s so much more contagious that really we have just got to, as I say, ramp it up and really for the next five days think, ‘Do I really need to leave the house?'”

Dr Young noted that data on car movements, public transport and “looking around the communities” suggested most people were staying at home.

Queensland recorded 16 local infections on Wednesday – including one unlinked case in Cairns.

The sunshine state was forced into a three-day snap lockdown for parts of the state on Saturday, but due to the rising surge in Delta cases, stay-at-home orders were extended until at least Sunday August 9.

“I’m confident that if Queenslanders continue what they have been doing and just ramp it up a little bit, that we can get this under control by Sunday,” Dr Young said.