Covid-19.Brisbane shut down for three days from Friday and masks will become compulsory in the city for the first time over fears the variant will spread rapidly – as it has across the UK.Queensland's state capital has seen very few cases of coronavirus since Australia's first wave last year beyond quarantined travellers.The shock announcement was immediately followed by panic buying in shops and supermarkets as locals stocked up on supplies with the wild scenes shown on social media.Queensland chief health officer Jeannette Young said: "We know that that strain is 70% more infectious and we know the extreme difficulty that the UK has had in controlling their outbreak due to that strain."The cleaner is the first person to be infected with.