QLD ‘very concerned’ as NSW cases likely to top 100 a day

Queensland authorities admit they are “very concerned” by Sydney’s worsening Covid outbreak, but the Sunshine State has not followed Victoria in closing its border to all of NSW.

Queensland’s top doctors are monitoring the “very concerning” NSW outbreak around the clock, as the southern state is feared to top 100 new cases today.

But the border remains open with the cases remaining contained within the lockdown areas so far.

It comes as the Federal Government defended its latest vaccine advertising campaign.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian delivered grim news that her state recorded 77 new cases yesterday, as well as one death.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian says it is likely there will be more than 100 new Covid cases in her state today. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Bianca De Marchi

But she warned that number would likely exceed more than 100 cases today.

“I’ll be shocked if it’s less than 100 this time tomorrow,” Ms Berejiklian said.

Victoria slammed shut its borders to all of NSW and the ACT last night.

It was despite the cases so-far being contained to the locked-down Sydney council areas, while there has not been a locally-acquired case in the ACT for more than a year.

Queensland has not moved to a hard border closure with all of NSW at this stage, but still has Covid hot spots active for Greater Sydney, Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Wollongong and Shell Harbour.

A Queensland Health spokesman said the situation in NSW was “very concerning”.

“We are continuing to monitor each day closely – in particular, the containment of spread to the Greater Sydney region,” he said.

He continued to urge Queenslanders to reconsider their need to travel to NSW and urged anyone with symptoms to come forward for testing as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government launched a new national advertising campaign encouraging people to get vaccinated.

It encourages people to “arm themselves” against the virus, while showing images of Australians rolling up their sleeves and displaying the bandaid from where they were vaccinated.

Head of the government’s Lieutenant General John Frewen said it was about “lifting the communities awareness”.

Lieutenant-General John Frewen says the new vaccine advertising campaign is about raising awareness. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“This is bringing a community spirit to the idea of getting vaccinated and as I said, we will continue to adapt the campaign, will continue to provide that more factual information as we go, and when circumstances necessitate,” he said.

But Opposition leader Anthony Albanese said the advertisement was not good enough.

“We were the best at the campaign against AIDS, we’ve done drink-driving very well. But after 18 months if this is the best they can do I think they have to go back to the drawing board,” he said.

There is a separate, more graphic advertisement which will run only in Sydney, featuring a young women struggling to breath in a hospital bed, urging people to “stay home, get tested, get vaccinated”.