Queensland to tighten border restrictions with NSW amid growing concern over Delta outbreak

Annastacia Palaszczuk has called in the army to enforce Queensland’s hard border with NSW amid a warning there’s a “real and present threat” of a Covid incursion.

Troops are being deployed to the border as the NSW Covid crisis spirals out of control, after the Palaszczuk Government pleaded for back-up.

Soldiers will begin guarding border checkpoints from next week, and the definition of essential workers will toughened even further as Queensland moves to barricade itself from the Covid-ravaged southern state amid warnings just one Delta case could trigger a lockdown.

Mask rules and other restrictions will be eased early in South East Queensland from Friday, but Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has called in the army to reinforce the already hard border with NSW, warning there’s a ‘real and present threat’ of a Covid incursion.

It comes after NSW reported a horrifying 633 new virus cases on Wednesday – a record since its outbreak began in June.

Dozens of extra police were sent to fortify the border this week after NSW enforced a statewide lockdown.

The army will return to Queensland’s border to enforce restrictions with NSW. Picture: Nigel Hallett

Troops helped police man the busy Gold Coast border checkpoints during the early part of the pandemic last year and the Federal Government has agreed to a request from Ms Palaszczuk to redeploy them to border duty.

About 100 soldiers have been requested, and boots will be on the ground from Wednesday, mainly on the Gold Coast.

Police and other checkpoint officers including firefighters and State Emergency Service volunteers have turned back hundreds of people at the border as they stop and check every vehicle.

It comes as authorities frantically work to tighten the border with New South Wales amid growing concern the Delta variant is on the state’s doorstep.

In response to “too many” people continuing to enter Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has tasked Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young and the Director Generals of State Government departments to tighten the criteria of essential workers.

The number of people crossing the border fell from 7700 on Monday to 5700 on Tuesday while vehicle turnarounds fell from 1090 to 513 over the same period.

From Friday any essential worker entering Queensland must have had at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.

Police patrol the Queensland border to NSW as the northern state continues to impose a harsh border closure due to the Covid-19 outbreak in Sydney Picture: John Gass

However, fearful authorities will also tighten the definition of an essential worker with Dr Young flagging people would soon only be permitted to enter if they were “genuinely necessary to the functioning of Queensland”.

“We can see the cases moving closer and closer to our border,” she said.

Military-like checkpoints and barricades are already in place on the border, which Dr Young considers the “biggest risk to Queensland”.

“Please do your best not to get infected,” she said.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk during a press conference in Brisbane. Picture: Tertius Pickard

Ms Palaszczuk also issued a stark warning to Queenslanders about the likelihood of the next case slipping through the concrete border wall.

“It is a real and present threat to Queensland so we are monitoring it incredibly closely,” she said.

“What we have seen today is a massive escalation of cases in NSW and we do wish the people of NSW all the very best.

“It only takes one person crossing the border with Delta and we’re into a lockdown, Queenslanders don’t want that.”

Originally published as Queensland to tighten border restrictions with NSW amid growing concern over Delta outbreak