Will QLD border open to residents from NSW if lockdown ends on Saturday?
The QLD Premier said her government was keen to see the border bubble open, but she expressed concern about continued high Covid case numbers.
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The QLD Premier gave hope to NSW border residents today that border restrictions may ease for them if lockdown ends this weekend.
During today’s Covid-19 update, QLD Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk was asked if the border bubble for Tweed Heads and other border regions would be reinstated if lockdown ended in those places on Saturday.
Ms Palaszczuk said her government was keen to see the border bubble reinstated, but while a checkpoint at the Tweed River would provide “easier access” for border residents, her NSW counterparts ‘don’t have an appetite for it”.
However, she added she would be reluctant to open to NSW more widely due to its current case numbers, even once vaccination targets were reached.
“Have a look at the number of cases in NSW. Queenslanders don’t want to see those numbers coming to Queensland,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“It’s basically where we have been before – once states get on top of their outbreaks, we’ll be opened up.”
The QLD Health Minister Yvette D’Ath also urged people who need to cross the border to get vaccinated after two QLD truck drivers who had crossed the border from NSW into QLD returned a positive test for Covid-19.
QLD chief health officer Dr Jeanette Young said the truck drivers “did everything they should do”, including the routine testing required of freight carriers, as well as extra testing, so believed the risk was very low to the community.
“Two truck drivers … were tested as part of the surveillance program that we’ve got in Australia now,” she said.
Dr Young said they were informed of the positive results by NSW Health after the drivers returned home, and they had returned negative tests in QLD.
She said the drivers had stopped in various places in NSW, and they were working with the NSW Government to “see what it means” for the community.
The drivers were isolating at their homes in the Somerset area, and on the Sunshine Coast.
Ms D’Ath said anyone who travels across borders into areas where there is an outbreak should get vaccinated.
“You are at risk more than anyone. You’re putting yourself at risk,” she said.
QLD Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said more than 5000 heavy and light vehicles had crossed the border yesterday, and 199 were refused entry to QLD.
Of those, 17 essential workers were turned away as they had not met the vaccination requirement.
Commissioner Carroll said it was “terribly disappointing” that people have been ”hopping” across the border
She said a small proportion of the community were making it incredibly difficult for police, but warned if border hoppers were not intercepted at that point, then they would be followed up later and face hefty fines.
“We will put more police on the border to stop this from happening in the future,” she said.
Personnel from the Australian Defence Force were also due to boost police patrols on Wednesday.
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