Queensland Health Minister Steven Miles says a trend showing a fall in the number of new COVID-19 cases is a sign social-distancing measures have been working.

Key points: Health Minister Steven Miles says Queensland's case reports are "trending down"

Health Minister Steven Miles says Queensland's case reports are "trending down" He says this is due to effective social distancing

He says this is due to effective social distancing Police are visiting crowded farmers' markets

Queensland had 27 new confirmed cases of coronavirus in the last day, lifting to 900 the total number of known COVID-19 patients across the state.

This was a significantly lower number than the previous day when 39 new cases were recorded.

Mr Miles said more than 56,000 tests had been conducted and there were 56 people with the virus in hospital.

"Of those, six are in ICU being ventilated with two others in intensive care," Mr Miles said.

He said all other people who had tested positive were being cared for in the community.

"We are trending down in terms of the number of positive results and that is because of the effectiveness of the social-distancing measures put in place," Mr Miles said.

Mr Miles said 276 cases had been tallied in the past week, a fall compared to this time last Saturday when 380 cases had been confirmed in the previous seven-day period.

"The closing of our international and domestic borders, the restrictions on social distancing — requiring people to not leave their homes unless it is essential — on top of the incredible effort of our health staff together, are helping," he said.

"We have to keep it up to delay the further spread of this terrible virus."

Crowded markets a concern

A large crowd attending the farmers' markets at the Brisbane Powerhouse today has come to the attention of police.

A police spokesperson said officers had stepped up patrols at markets to ensure social distancing, but no fines had been issued at this stage.

Mr Miles said he was aware of issues regarding social distancing at farmers' markets.

Police visited the crowded Powerhouse markets in Brisbane but made no arrests. ( Supplied )

"It is incumbent not just on the operators but also the customers and the stall holders to ensure that they are appropriately social distancing," he said.

Farmers' markets are not subject to social-distancing limitations because they sell essential items.

"But if they don't implement the rules and don't do it responsibly, well maybe we will have to look at that," Mr Miles said.

'We acted quickly'

Mr Miles said it was now taking nine to 10 days for coronavirus case numbers to double in Queensland.

"The best-case scenario is we limit the growth right through until when treatments are available and then, ultimately, a vaccine," he said.

"Every Queenslander has banded together to do this — to keep their distance, to slow the spread.

"Any other country in the world would love to have the results we are seeing … we acted quickly, we delayed the arrival of the virus and we are now delaying the spread of the virus very effectively."

Mr Miles said in Queensland the vast bulk of cases were people returning from overseas and that community transmission was limited to a couple of pockets.

"Our job from here is to find isolate test and contain and if we can do that we will limit the growth," he said.

Well enough to leave hospital

Casy Tideswell is in the Gold Coast University Hospital after testing positive to coronavirus on Tuesday night.

The 24-year-old was in quarantine at a hotel in Surfers Paradise but was transferred to hospital when her condition deteriorated.

"I couldn't really breathe properly — I was really dizzy and wobbly," she said.

"I sort of woke up really disorientated and I didn't really know where I was."

Casy Tideswell remains in hospital after being told she is well enough to leave. ( Supplied: Casy Tideswell )

She said she had since been told she was well enough to be discharged, but only when alternative accommodation was arranged through Queensland Health.

"Wouldn't they rather someone be in this hospital bed that needs it? I'm not 'sick' anymore," she said.

"I'm still obviously tired and have a few symptoms but … I can rest at home."

Mr Miles said the Government had arranged for alternative accommodation for COVID-19 patients who did not need to be in hospital.

He said it was up to hospitals to decide what was best.

"It's well within our hospitals' rights to make a judgment call about whether it's appropriate to use that bed or two, or to utilise that alternative accommodation that … we have available," he said.

"If we've kept them in hospital, it's because we can."

Free coffee for health workers

Brisbane cafe owners An Wilson and Jessica Sexton have started a "pay it forward" system at their cafe DuxBrew in Toowong.

Under the schme, customers can pay for a coffee for a healthcare worker.

Ms Wilson said the idea was the brainchild of a customer.

On Saturday afternoon, the cafe delivered more than a dozen free coffees to staff at a nearby hospital.

An Wilson (left) and Jessica Sexton have organised for customers to offer health workers free coffees. ( ABC News: Brittney Kleyn )

Ms Wilson said people were getting behind the system "I think because [customers] know how hard healthcare workers work, and the hours they work".

Customer Brendan Vanderstarre said it was a worthwhile small gesture.

"I'm a bit of a fiend for coffee so every morning I get my morning coffee and I try and get some of the pay it forward coffees too," he said.

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PPE equipment 'desperation'

The shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) – particularly gowns — is so dire, a Brisbane GP has directly reached out to private manufacturers to see whether they could help boost production during the coronavirus pandemic.

Queensland COVID-19 snapshot: Confirmed cases so far: 1,150

Confirmed cases so far: 1,150 Deaths: 6

Deaths: 6 Tests conducted: 1,037,189 Active cases: 27 Latest information from Queensland Health.

Maria Boulton, a GP and director of a clinic in Brisbane's inner-north, said their suppliers did not have any stock left.

"We're not getting much from the government other than maybe some surgical masks here and there," she said.

"In desperation, I know a lot of clinic owners have been to hardware stores — we have also placed orders through some companies that say they are importing from China, but I'm not sure if that stock is actually coming.

"Last week I thought, you know what, this is a war … so I put the call out to private business and asked people to help out with this problem."

Maria Boulton wears one of the gowns for health workers made at the Albion manufacturer. ( ABC News: Stephen Cavenagh )

Nigel Berghan, managing director of Albion manufacturer Official Clothing, said the company traditionally produced sportswear, corporate clothing and school uniforms, but was now starting to make gowns for frontline health workers to purchase following Dr Boulton's pitch.

"When I heard what was happening with all the GPs and the fact they weren't protected, then we jumped in straight away," he said.

"For us, it was about retooling and coming up with a quick solution and then maximising our capacity."

He said the factory had the capacity to churn out at least 2,000 gowns a day but needed government funding to be able to reach that.