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Face masks to be scrapped in Qld at 80 per cent

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the Warwick case had been in the community while infectious for up to 10 days.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the Warwick case had been in the community while infectious for up to 10 days. Photo: AAP

Mandatory face masks could be dumped in Queensland in a matter of hours, as the state nears its 80 per cent first dose COVID-19 vaccine target.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has announced masks won’t be required once 80 per cent of eligible Queenslanders have had at least their first vaccine dose.

“That means no masks indoors including schools, cafes, pubs, clubs, hairdressers and workplaces,” a post on her official Twitter feed said on Tuesday.

As of Monday, 79.6 per cent of Queenslanders 16 years and over have had their first dose and 67.4 per cent are double dosed.

With the 80 per cent milestone to be reached on Tuesday or Wednesday, businesses and the opposition have called for clarity on rules in premises and venues.

As well as face masks, businesses want to know how other restrictions such as density limits and social distancing rules will change.

Deputy chief health officer Peter Aitken confirmed authorities were planning specific business and venue rules relating to vaccinated and unvaccinated people.

The government’s roadmap is for quarantine to be scrapped for fully-vaccinated domestic travellers who test negative, once the state reaches its 80 per cent double-dose target.

Queensland had no new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, despite concerns about a potential exposure at Toowoomba Hospital linked to an outbreak in Goondiwindi in the state’s south.

Topics: Queensland
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