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You should be dancing: Boogie is back after 86 days without new cases

Queenslanders will be allowed to put on their dancing shoes when dance floor restrictions cease at all venues across the state next week.

Dec 10, 2020, updated Dec 10, 2020
(Unsplash: @antoinejulien)

(Unsplash: @antoinejulien)

From midday next Monday, distancing limits will be eased in nightclubs and other events to allow dancing. Currently, dancing is only allowed at weddings.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath announced that dancing will be allowed in venues again after the state went 86 days without a new case in the community.

She said dancing indoors at pubs, bars, restaurants and clubs would be allowed from 1am on Monday.

“This means that we can Blame It On the Boogie again,” Ms D’Ath said.

Indoor social distancing rules will still be one person per two square metres, with Young stressing the need for people to sensible.

She asked people not to form mosh pits where hundreds of people were all squashed up together “that my daughter told me about”.

“You don’t know anyone and you’re not dancing with those 100 people,” Young said.

“So if you dance with someone you’ve met that night, that’s of course fine. Just be sensible about it, and stay with that person, with your friendship group, with your family. Stay in those groups, but be spread out.”

Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said she absolutely loved dancing, but joked she did not have a conflict of interest in the decision to allow it again.

Young added that dancing was a great activity for improving mental and physical health.

“Dancing is fantastic. It means that you’re congregating with people you’re socialising, you’re doing some physical activity,” she said.

“So it’s a really good thing to do, so I’m so glad we can start doing it again.”

Queensland has banned fresh air breaks for people in hotel quarantine amid concerns about a growing number coronavirus cases.

Young says another three people tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday taking the total number of cases in the state to 22.

All are in hotel quarantine and Young says fresh air breaks have been banned to lower the risk of the virus spreading in the community.

“We’re seeing more cases occurring in hotel quarantine, which means we’ve had to tighten up our processes,” she told reporters on Thursday.

“We have seen breaches in hotel quarantine that have led to outbreaks in other states, and I’m very very cautious that I do everything possible … to make sure that that doesn’t happen in Queensland.”

Young said a man who tested negative on his fourth day of quarantine had an air break, but later tested positive on his 10th day on Wednesday.

She said every person who the man came into contact with during his fresh air break had to be traced and tested.

The chief health officer said fortunately there hadn’t been any detected spread of the virus.

“But it’s always a concern, which is why we can’t have those fresh air breaks going forward, although I do absolutely understand the impost on those people and I thank them for what they’re doing,” she said.

Young also said Queensland Health were trying “our absolute best” to find hotels with balconies or windows that could open.

However, most hotels in Brisbane are air-conditioned due to its subtropical climate.

 

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