Queensland's chief health officer is pleading with residents to follow rules designed to stem the coronavirus or face an outbreak similar to Victoria's.
Jeannette Young says the state has reached a critical juncture in the fight against COVID-19.
"Either we continue to contain the virus or we suffer a second wave. It's that simple," she wrote in the Courier-Mail.
"But it's up to you - not just us as a health authority - which way this goes."
Dr Young's warning came after two Brisbane women who failed to quarantine after a trip to Victoria tested positive for coronavirus.
They and a third woman are due to face court for allegedly lying on their border declaration.
The chief health officer said the overwhelming majority of Queenslanders had complied with the more than 60 health directions she has issued since the pandemic began.
"These directions, however, go only so far in combating ignorance, recklessness, arrogance and naivety," she wrote.
"While fines and penalties deter most people from wrongdoing, they cannot undo rash behaviour, which is a major threat to our ability to manage COVID-19."
Dr Young also singled out people who gave fake contact details to restaurants, saying in those cases contact tracers could not alert those exposed to an infected person.
"It's not just immature, it's dangerous," she said, and urged people to stay home and get tested if sick, wash their hands and avoid places with a high number of cases.
"Queenslanders are used to surviving emergencies," she said.
"This is an emergency also. It is slower moving and it is invisible. But you - every one of you - can actually do more to help fight it than any natural disaster."
Australian Associated Press
