‘Selfish stupidity, ignorance and complacency’ to blame for region’s COVID threat

Northern Rivers residents have urged the NSW leader to change her mind and close the border with Queensland.

The Beach Hotel in Byron Bay was visited by two COVID-19 positive people.

The potential threat of COVID-19 returning to the Northern Rivers was due to "selfish stupidity, ignorance and complacency".

That's one view among hundreds of comments that have been left on stories covering the latest outbreak of COVID-19 in Queensland.

The outbreak reached our region after two sisters visited at the weekend while infectious with the virus.

Many Northern Rivers residents disagree with our state premier, Gladys Berejiklian, and have urged the NSW leader to change her mind and close the border.

But it seems, for now, their wishes have fallen on deaf ears.

It's been revealed that two sisters from Brisbane visited the Northern Rivers in recent days while infected with the virus and attended The Farm at Ewinsgdale and the Beach Hotel in Byron Bay.

Thousands of people are now being contacted and told to go and get tested.

With Bluesfest about to begin on Thursday, it has a lot of the region's residents casting a nervous eye over their shoulders

Hundreds of comments have poured in via The Northern Star's Facebook site.

When asked whether NSW should close the border with Queensland, the overwhelming response was 'yes'.

That's in opposition to the premier's view that it should stay open.

But at the pointy end of the state many people on the Northern Rivers feel vulnerable to the virus spreading again.

"The only way COVID was going to return to our region was through selfish stupidity, ignorance and complacency," Jimmy Dee said, while saying 'yes' to closing the border.

"Yes. I think we should to protect us from those not doing the right thing," Jenny Wort said

But others urged a more compassionate approach to potential border closures.

"I didn't get to see my family for Christmas please don't lock me out from them for Easter," Jodie Hughson said.

Many readers were concerned about the two sisters who visited our region while COVID-positive.

"They have named the two venues times and dates that they were attended but haven't said where the people or whether the people stayed in the area between those two dates," Jon Huntley said.

"Isn't there restrictions in place with staff working in hospitals crossing the borders and going into areas that have high amounts of public attendances now?" Karen English

Many Northern Star readers were asking whether Bluesfest should go ahead given the outbreak.

Dan Hunter said: "Surely, with the situation now announced in Queensland and with known infectious people travelling to Byron Bay, they cannot continue to hold Bluesfest. The organisers and government have a duty of care."

And at least one reader lamented the slow roll out of the COVID-19 vaccines.

"Meanwhile, the COVID vax roll out is very slow even though there are hundreds of thousands of doses already in stock. Time to get cracking pronto," Paul Watson said.