Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announces no new Covid cases in Queensland

Annastacia Palaszczuk has taken aim at Barnaby Joyce over his criticism of Queensland’s border closures as NSW records 787 new Covid cases and 12 deaths.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has taken aim at Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce over his criticism of Queensland’s border stance.

Queensland on Monday recorded no new cases of Covid-19 while Ms Palaszczuk announced two new vaccination centres on the Gold Coast.

It comes as 12 more people have died from Covid in NSW as the state recorded 787 new cases. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has all but confirmed October 11 will be the day the 70 per cent roadmap of freedom will begin.

“At 80 per cent you will be able to go anywhere freely in New South Wales, you will be able to stand up and have a drink at a pub, you will be able to do obviously consider international travel and other things,” she said.

Meanwhile, Ms Palaszczuk said Mr Joyce, who attacked her border stance on Monday, was “entitled to his views”.

“I think he should be sitting down to what’s his name, Darren Chester, who’s just left the Nationals,” she said.

“I think he’s got to focus on his own job and let me do my job.”

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.

Ms Palaszczuk was asked to respond to the Prime Minister’s call for borders to open once vaccination rates hit 80 per cent.

“We’ve got national cabinet happening this Friday, I’m really looking forward to that,” she said.

Asked what life will be like once 80 per cent of people are vaccinated, Ms Palaszczuk said: “Look what our life is like now in Queensland.”

She said she wanted people to keep coming out to get vaccinated.

“That is going to help us if we have another breakout, ending up in a lockdown situation,” she said.

Ms Palaszczuk used this morning’s Covid update to launch two new vaccination centres on the Gold Coast – one at the Tugun Private Hospital and at Coomera.

Both will open in two weeks time and both will take walk-ins.

There are 63.78 per cent of people with the first dose and 44 per cent of Queenslanders are fully vaccinated.

Asked if people could expect for borders to be open at 80 per cent, Ms Palaszczuk said that depended on conversations at national cabinet on Friday.

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce. Picture: Gary Ramage

Ms Palaszczuk said she looked forward to seeing the NSW road map, to be released today.

“At the moment the pressures are being caused by the lockdowns that are happening in NSW at the moment,” she said.

Asked whether the tens of thousands of people born overseas deserved some certainty around when they would be able to see family again, she said she wanted to see as many possible reunite and the Prime Minister was working on which countries could exist in a travel bubble with Australia.

Ms Palaszczuk said the state was still working through modelling on when Queensland would hit 80 per cent vaccination.

“A couple of weeks ago there was an issue of supply so we need to get an update,” she said.

Queensland Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said it was vital Queenslanders continue to get the jab.

“There is plenty of vaccine, there is no shortage,” she said.

Dr Young said it was “not as simple” as naming an 80 per cent vaccination rate as the one Queensland would reopen at.

She said it “would be wonderful” to have fewer restrictions by Christmas.

“We should all prepare and hope and get people vaccinated,” she said.

“The more people who are vaccinated the more likely we can remove those last remaining restrictions.”