120 new staff by end of week: Business bounce back
As Queensland businesses get ready for an influx of inter-state visitors from July 10, the Premier has warned Victorians there will be “very few exemptions” for allowing them across the border, confirming there will be a very strong police involvement.
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As Queensland businesses get ready for an influx of inter-state visitors from July 10, the Premier has warned Victorians there will be “very few exemptions” for allowing them across the border, confirming there will be a very strong police involvement.
Ms Palaszczuk warned Victorians will be turned around at the border with police currently working through border details, for the July 10 reopening to other states.
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Victoria has recorded 73 new coronavirus cases today, with the source of 42 of those cases under investigation.
Three of the cases are in retuned overseas travellers, with 19 identified through routine testing.
Ms Palaszczuk reiterated there were “large concerns” about the number of cases of COVID-19 in Victoria, with announcements around how the closure will work to be made in coming days.
Authorities are also looking at ways to make it easier for communities who live close to the Queensland border to get to and from the southern end.
“We’re very serious about this matter, it’s about keeping Queenslanders safe, the police will be looking at that,” the Premier said.
Speaking at a press conference this morning, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk singled out restaurant Hellenika, based at Brisbane’s Calile hotel, as one that is ready to take on a business boom as restrictions lift from Friday.
Hellenika says they’re anticipating having between 100-120 staff back working by the end of the week.
Ms Palaszczuk revealed yesterday that Queensland’s COVID-19 restrictions would be greatly eased from this Friday and that our border would be reopened to all states, except for Victoria, from July 10.
But this morning, the Premier was careful to point out that despite the easing of restrictions it was likely that some Queensland businesses would never be the same.
“Post Covid world means until there is a vaccine we have to keep up social distancing, we never know when there could be a new case,” the Premier said.
“As we’ve seen it can emerge very quickly like it has in Victoria.
She said the National Cabinet’s goal was to suppress the virus.
“What we are seeing is great work happening across the majority of states and territories where we are seeing consistently low numbers,” she said.
“So again today zero new cases in Queensland.“
Only two cases remain active. Overall there have been 1067 instances of the virus in the state.
In more good news, Ms Palaszczuk said Queensland is close to signing onto the Federal Government’s HomeBuilder scheme announced last month.
It comes after the State Government initially wouldn’t commit to administering the $680 million scheme with Housing Minister Mick de Brenni claiming it did not go far enough to help the industry.
But Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk today said Treasurer Cameron Dick had advised her Queensland would sign on within the next couple of days.
Ms Palaszczuk also said four out of 10 Queenslanders said they would be holidaying locally this year, while there was also an anticipation interstate holidaymakers would be heading our way soon.
She reiterated the Sunshine State was good to go while urging everyone to continue to practice social distance.
Despite the state’s success with controlling the spread of coronavirus, Ms Palaszczuk this morning hit out at Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who she accused of fuelling “border wars”.
“I was silent for a long time … I was copping it nearly every day,” she said.
“Queensland was singled out, not South Australia not Tasmania … It was coming thick and fast from a lot of senior federal cabinet ministers.”