8 new local cases overnight

Australia reported eight new locally acquired Covid-19 cases in Queensland on Tuesday (March 30) and authorities warned more could emerge as the state scrambles to quash an outbreak linked to the highly contagious United Kingdom variant of the coronavirus.

The other two cases were acquired overseas.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian warned she expected cases to cross the border as infected people had been to a number of venues in her state.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has given an update on the first day of Brisbane's snap lockdown, revealing the state recorded eight new locally acquired cases overnight, and two new cases in hotel quarantine, bringing the total number of cases in the state to 78.

Two of them are under investigation.

"We've seen what's happened in other countries".

Queensland's Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said genome sequencing indicated this cluster originated from a man who was a returned traveller from India who was being treated at Brisbane's PA Hospital.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says six new cases are genomically linked to or close contacts of seven existing infections, while the other two are under investigation. And we have a second cluster linked to the PA nurse.

Genomic testing is underway to confirm another two cases are linked to that cluster.

The nurse's sister has also been infected with the virus.

"They all attended a party together down in Byron Bay".

"Anyone, anywhere in Queensland. with any symptoms please come forward, that is critical", she said.

'The big question will be whether or not we see unlinked community transmission'.

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Ms Palaszczuk said those who had tested positive had been out in the community, making the job of contract-tracing a huge one.

All residents have been vaccinated.

"It depends on what we see [in terms of cases] over the next 24 to 48 hours", the Premier said.

More than 41,000 frontline workers have received their first jab already, but only about 7,000 are fully vaccinated.

"And we expect that to be completed over the next 48 hours".

The department did not say when the new cases were detected or when they were taken to the Sunshine Coast University Hospital.

"We know as we mostly open and there are very few restrictions on our movement, on the things we can do as a society, that means that the outbreaks can spread quickly", Professor Kelly said. "Probably. Probably, we will see more".

The Queensland Leader said given they were dealing with the highly-contagious United Kingdom strain of COVID-19, more cases were likely. We needed a sharp, hard lockdown.

"Late yesterday NSW Health released more information about venues that were visited by two people who were infectious and people were asked to check the dates and times and have a test and follow isolation instructions".

"So, the vaccination rollout is going ahead".

'We want to get on top of this community transmission, ' Ms Palaszczuk told reporters.

It comes as two new cases were announced overnight, connected to a nurse who worked in the COVID unit at the Princess Alexandra Hospital.

"Council has also increased its sewage treatment testing to include all sewerage treatment plants in the Byron Shire including Ocean Shores, Byron Bay, Bangalow and Brunswick Valley Sewage Treatment Plants".