Covid-19: Queensland announces new hard closure with New South Wales, face masks mandatory for another week
Police have warned motorists to “pack their patience” as workers this evening began erecting barricades at four Gold Coast border crossing points. LATEST >>>
Coronavirus
Don't miss out on the headlines from Coronavirus. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- NSW hits 124 cases as Covid ‘spreads like never seen before’
- Everything you need to know about Covid masks
POLICE warned this evening that motorists will have to “pack their patience” as workers began erecting barricades at four Gold Coast border crossing points.
Queensland Police Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski confirmed barricades would once again crop up at the border after Deputy Premier Steven Miles announced that the state was shutting its border to the whole of New South Wales.
“The checkpoints will be back,” he said.
“When we first implement this it does get very congested, it does get very difficult and we’re asking all of the community to work with us through this.
“Pack your patience, make sure you have the right passes, but realise once we implement this for a period until it settles we will see some congestion and delays, so please work through with us on that.
“With respect to those borders, as you’ve heard, people will need to make sure that if they are Queenslanders and they can get back from an area that’s not currently a hotspot they should really do so today.
“There will be a cross border area. Bear in mind these things do take time to change. We have to put up new passes and new systems. That is underway.”
Mr Gollschewski said current passes would be accepted while systems were being updated.
He urged the community to “do the right thing” and follow mandatory mask rules.
Gold Coast police Superintendent Rhys Wildman said four main checkpoints would be implemented on Griffith St at Coolangatta, Miles St at Kirra, the Gold Coast Hwy at Bilinga and the M1 at Tugun.
Supt Wildman was not able to say if agencies including the Australian Defence Force, State Emergency Service and Rural Fire Service would help man checkpoints, which could be in place for a month or more.
It was expected police would be brought in from across Queensland to meet demand.
Deputy Premier Steven Miles announced a return to the tougher border restrictions at a press conference in Brisbane on Thursday morning, though no new locally acquired cases had been recorded.
It came as Premier Gladys Berejiklian revealed 124 new locally acquired cases in New South Wales and Premier Daniel Andrews announced 26 new locally acquired cases in Victoria.
Both of the states are in lockdown and Queensland has now declared all of NSW a hot spot.
The border will close to the entirety of NSW on Friday from 1am, apart from the usual border bubble zone.
Queensland chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young raised concerns about an escalating situation in NSW, which has been struggling to reign in a Delta variant outbreak.
“Across the country we are seeing how much of a risk Covid-19 remains, especially the Delta variant,” she said.
“The current outbreak in NSW is particularly concerning.
“I know it has been challenging but we need to remain vigilant until a much larger proportion of the community is vaccinated.”
Queenslanders in NSW who are not border zone residents have been urged to return home before the 1am deadline to avoid mandatory hotel quarantine.
Dr Young said she understood the closure was disruptive, but the health of Queenslanders was a priority and the spread of the Delata outbreak “would be far more disruptive”.
“The border zone will commence again, with residents of border zone communities able to cross the border into Queensland,” she said.
“Border zone residents already need a Queensland Entry Pass to enter the state and will need to complete a new one every 14 days, unless they have travelled outside the border zone, where they will need to reapply.”
Mr Miles said restrictions would be eased somewhat in Queensland, though masks will be mandatory in the southeast for seven more days. .
They must be worn at all times when outside the home, unless exemptions or particular circumstances apply, such as eating and drinking.
Gatherings can increase from 30 to 100 people from 6am on Friday and there will be no limits on outdoor gatherings.
Hospitality venues will be able to host one person per two square metres.
Visitors will also be allowed in hospitals and aged care facilities across southeast Queensland
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate urged residents to support Coast businesses in the wake of the sudden closure.
“It’s not what we want … it’s not what businesses need but we have to protect our residents,” he said.
“The State Government has made this decision based on health advice.
“I’ve long called for a Tweed-GC border bubble and I am confident the police and state officials are working on making that happen.
“Right now, I urge Gold Coasters to buy local in every way they can to help all our businesses, particularly the southern border businesses.’’
Meanwhile Australia’s pharmacy vaccine rollout will be fast-tracked, with the number of pharmacists offering the jab to triple by the end of the month.
In a press conference on Thursday afternoon, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said all community pharmacies will be able to request access to the rollout from next Monday.
Community pharmacies are expected to start giving these jabs by mid-August.
All remaining GPs who would like to participate in the vaccine program will be able to do so from Monday, Mr Morrision said.
The Prime Minister stressed the boosted pharmacy rollout would only involve the AstraZeneca vaccine at this stage.
“This is important to ensure you’re protected,” he said.
“Vaccines work against the Delta variant.”
Mr Morrison cautioned against comparing Australia’s response to the pandemic to other countries.
He said “30,000 Australians would be dead right now” if Australia had suffered a similar outbreak to countries such as the UK.
“Covid is a tough customer,” Mr Morrison said.
He reiterated yesterday’s comments that he took full responsibility for the bungled vaccine rollout.
BY THE NUMBERS
– 0 new cases
– 26 active cases
– 1761 total cases
– 16,675 tests conducted overnight
– 3,228,466 total tests conducted
– 7 dead
– 1701 people have recovered
‘Struggling’ Coast businesses demand major change
July 15: Gold Coast hospitality bosses smashed by Covid lockdowns are calling for a reduction in licensing fees due to lockdowns and reduced capacity imposed by the state.
The most recent snap three-day lockdown a fortnight ago was the biggest “kick in the guts” for Last Night on Earth owner Arran Woollams.
Annual licensing fees were temporarily scrapped last year at the height of the pandemic, but operators say reductions or waivers altogether are justified.
“We’ve been capped for nearly 500 days now at restricted numbers, all small businesses are already struggling even though they helped us out last year,” Mr Woollams said, adding he was still swamped with paying emergency loans taken last year.
“This year, we’re still not running at full capacity and it’s probably fair they look at assisting small business in some way. The first step is looking at reduced fees.”
House of Brews general manager Jade Wood backed waiver calls, alongside Scott Imlach of Imlach Hospitality.
“It would make sense that expenses should be less for businesses who have been impacted by government restriction. It would make a big difference if fees were reflective of that,” Ms Wood said.
Mr Imlach added: “We feel it’s the least the government could do, to offer at least half prices fees given we’re limited to half our capacity. Free fees would be even better.”
An Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation spokesman said while fees would not be waived, licensees who demonstrated genuine hardship could apply to pay them by instalment – only if annual fees were more than $1000.
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland is calling for extensions to payment relief for liquor licensing fees.
CCIQ policy and advocacy manager Cherie Josephson said liquor and gaming license fee relief and support for the 2020-21 financial year ended when some businesses were in lockdown.
“While their doors were locked, staff sent home, stock orders sent to waste and income reduced to zero during the last lockdown in June and July, some businesses were sent bills for their annual license fees,” she said.
“Businesses are telling us it’s diabolical to expect through restrictions to trade (that) businesses are sent license payment notices.
“Through reduced capacity, limited customer demand and lockdowns, they have no income to pay these bills, on top of ongoing staff, rent and utilities, but they’re still receiving license payment notices.
“These businesses have not financially or emotionally recovered from the impact of restrictions. We’re calling for license support and relief to be extended into the new financial year. These fees need to be waived, not deferred, so impacted businesses don’t have to face a debt down the track.”
Ms Josephson said there needed to be a continued reduction in red tape and cost of compliance in economic conditions that have not yet recovered from lockdowns and restrictions.
“We know the financial impact of even a three-day lockdown can take businesses weeks or months to recover, many of which are yet to return to operating levels in line with March 2020,” she said
‘URGENT’ NEED TO PROTECT COAST AVIATION WORKERS
July 15: The aviation industry wants workers to be given urgent priority for the Covid-19 jabs, because more than half of the state’s staff are not vaccinated.
Many workers say they haven’t been vaccinated because of limited vaccine supplies and issues with roster changes, according to a new Transport Workers Union survey.
The survey of nearly 800 cabin crew, pilots, cleaners, baggage handlers and ground workers found 52 per cent of Queensland aviation workers had not been vaccinated, and just 24 per cent have had two doses.
TWU national secretary Michael Kaine said the “shocking” problem highlighted a deep issue in national defence against the virus.
“There have been a number of issues with frontline workers at the airports contracting and spreading Covid in Queensland airports and others across the country,” he said.
“Brisbane, Gold Coast and Townsville airports have been at the centre of the recent spread and it shows Queensland can only be as safe as our national plan to vaccinate aviation workers.
“We are calling for the federal government to ensure that aviation workers in Queensland and across Australia are prioritised for vaccination urgently to ensure workers and the rest of the community are protected.”
The Queensland government last week dismissed concerns about domestic aircrews from Covid-19 hot spots mixing with staff and unsuspecting guests at a Surfers Paradise hotel.
Crew members were seen mixing with unmasked staff, including cleaners and hotel drivers, in common areas and cars at the Voco hotel.
Queensland Health said the Voco, not an official quarantine hotel, was being used to accommodate nonresident crews.
Chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young clarified crew members arriving from hot spots were allowed to stay in hotels like the Voco as part of a nationally agreed protocol.
“We need to keep planes flying,” she said.
“People can live in their own accommodation when they’ve come in and they’re part of a flight crew.
“We’re not involved in hotels that aren’t quarantine hotels.”
Horror vista would be ‘final nail in coffin’ for Coast
July 14: Leading Gold Coast figures say it is vital that residents get vaccinated against Covid-19 as soon as possible because further lockdowns would be the “final nail in the coffin” for the city.
The outbreak of the Delta variant in Sydney and snap Brisbane lockdowns over Easter and July school holidays delivered fresh blows to the city’s tourism industry.
They came on top of the Coast bleeding at least $1.8bn in lost revenue in 2020.
The Academy of Science this week launched a campaign demystifying the risks of Covid vaccines, as experts warned Australia would not be able to reopen properly until 80 per cent of the people were vaccinated.
STRANGE TALE OF TWO Covid CITIES
CALL TO ARMS
Coronavirus vaccine rollout: How to fast-track jabs at vaccination hubs, chemists
Jimmy Barnes, Molly Meldrum reveal why they didn’t hesitate to get Covid-19 jab
Experts unite to help get Aussies vaccinated against Covid-19
Village Roadshow chief operating officer Bikash Randhawa, who has been fully vaccinated, said speeding up the vaccine rollout was vital to allow the Gold Coast return to normal.
“Getting jabbed is the key because it is what will let us live in a more normal world and, to me, it should be the No. 1 priority of every single person responsible for getting the economy cracking. I cannot be any clearer than that,” he said.
“We simply cannot afford any more lockdowns. That would be the final nail in the coffin for the Gold Coast. It would be the end of everything.”
Mayor Tom Tate said countries had been able to return to normal after the majority of the population was vaccinated.
“The No. 1 weapon against the spread of the virus is vaccination and if you look at countries like Israel they have more than 60 per cent vaccinated and things are going back to normal there,” he said.
“If you want normality or as close as possible to that post-Covid, get vaccinated.”
Cr Tate, who has received the AstraZeneca vaccine, said the risks associated with getting vaccinated were very low.
“If people are uncertain, just look at the statistics – it’s more dangerous to cross the road.
“What do you do? You cross the road for a coffee, so get vaccinated to get a safe cup of coffee.”
Destination Gold Coast chief executive Patricia O’Callaghan said getting the jab was vital to businesses surviving the pandemic.
“It is the only long-term key we have and we are hearing the heartbreak of our operators, the fatigue which is setting in and the depletion of their financial resources,” she said.
“We want to have a strong industry out of this and if we are going to do that, we need to see the vaccine roll out.”
What are the symptoms? What are the rules? New Covid strain explained
The Covid threat that emerged before Christmas doesn’t appear to be going anywhere in Queensland. ALL YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
‘Unacceptable’: Tens of thousands of drivers dodge RBT
There’s been an astounding drop in the number of Gold Coast drivers being breath tested over the past five years. HOW THEY ESCAPED AN RBT