Increased financial stress, higher alcohol consumption and being forced to stay home has led to a surge in domestic and family violence, Queensland officials say.
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Magistrates have been inundated with cases of domestic and family violence in their courtrooms, and paramedics are getting more calls for help.
The crisis has pushed the state government to hold an online domestic violence summit on Wednesday with stakeholders and advocates to assess where funding should be directed in the future.
"I've been disturbed to hear from our emergency department staff that the reduction in sporting injuries and road trauma has been partially offset by trauma caused by domestic and family violence," Health Minister Steven Miles said.
"Anything we can do to address this increase in domestic and family violence during the pandemic is really important."
Service providers had reported a dramatic increase in the brutality and severity of attacks on women and children, Minister for Women Di Farmer told reporters.
"If you are a victim of domestic and family violence, life is already incredibly challenging," she said.
"With the advent of COVID-19, those challenges have increased dramatically.
"If you are a victim you are probably now at home 24 hours a day with a perpetrator who is watching your every move, so your ability to call for help, your ability to escape is severely limited."
She said financial loss, cabin fever, a widespread rise in anxiety and a 70 per cent increase in alcohol consumption could push violent perpetrators over the edge.
There were no new diagnoses of the virus overnight and just 52 Queenslanders who have it are still sick.
Officials will meet with hospitality and tourism industry representatives on Thursday to kickstart their way out of an economic crisis.
Department retail giant Myer will re-open five of its Queensland stores from Friday, after closing all of its Australian outlets and standing down about 10,000 staff without pay on March 29.
Those to open are at Chermside, Carindale, North Lakes, Townsville and Toowoomba.
The reopening of Myer stores is in time for the second weekend of the easing of stay-at-home restrictions, with Queensland recording yet another day of zero coronavirus cases.
The state's tally remains steady at 1043 with just 52 active cases.
Australian Associated Press
