Tighter border controls flagged as 33 new coronavirus cases announced

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has flagged tighter restrictions on Queensland’s borders as the state recorded 33 more coronavirus cases overnight. It comes the state’s top cop said her officers were ready to enforce social isolation rules with $1300 fines.

QUEENSLAND will enforce even tougher border restrictions, with more people to be turned away after NSW and Victorian holiday-makers continued to try to come to the Sunshine State.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced the tougher restrictions today as a nationwide, one-month ban on gatherings of more than two people came into place last night.

It comes as Queensland recorded 33 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, raising the state total to 689. Seven people are in intensive care, five of them ventilated.

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Ms Palaszczuk said the stricter border enforcement would come into effect on Friday.

“We are still seeing a lot of people coming across our borders and it’s got to stop,” she said.

“So I’m sending a message to NSW and Victoria, yes, we love you, we love you to visit Queensland, not now.

“Come back when we right through this and we will share the love around but we really need everyone to only come across the border if you have a permit.”

Until now, people who came across the border were required to self-isolate for 14 days but the numbers coming across were presenting as resourcing issue, with police required to check on them.

Meanwhile, Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said her officers stood ready to enforce new rules banning public gatherings of more than one person and banning house parties and banning the use of playgrounds.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk addresses a press conference this afternoon. Picure: Darren England/AAP

Those changes came into effect last night, and follow police being called to 900 parties this past weekend, although many of them were in keeping with previous rules keeping house gatherings to 10 people or less.

The commissioner said police would caution people at house parties to begin with, but people breaking those rules faced $1300 fines.

“This is really important,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“We’ve seen a lot of people out and about, all over gym equipment, in playgrounds, a lot of different families coming together, using the equipment. We can’t do this.

“These measures are going to put into place for a month, so let’s see how they go and let’s see if we can flatten that curve.”

Meanwhile, Ms Palaszczuk said the government was working on a long-term plan for schools to be able to continue to care for the children of essential workers.

“I think that’s critical and we’re paying a lot of attention to that,” she said.