Deputy CMO questions Queensland’s decision to keep border shut

One of the nation’s top doctors has questioned Queensland’s decision to keep its border shut, saying the state may have set a rather difficult benchmark to reach.

ONE of the nation’s top medicos has warned Queensland authorities to “take into account” that the benchmark they have set for opening the borders was unlikely to be reached soon.

“It may be some time for us to get four weeks without any cases in the larger states so I hope Queensland will take that into account,” Professor Paul Kelly said.

WATCH: Campers busted at military facility

Restaurant collapses as COVID-19 claims $280K bookings

Beattie’s 10-point plan for Qld to lead Australia’s recovery

The Australian Government’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly. Picture: Gary Ramage

The Deputy Chief Medical Officer also said there had never been a decision at a national level to shutdown borders with states and territories acting alone to “protect their own populations”.

“From a medical point-of-view I can’t see why the borders are still closed,” he said.

And he said it was likely new cases would emerge as economies and societies reopened.

“We are not looking to achieve elimination even though in some states it seems that may actually have occurred at the moment,” he said.

“I believe as we do open up the economy and society, we may well see more cases.

“We have designed a system and strengthened that system to find cases quickly and to minimise the numbers of so-called chains of transmission.”