Coronavirus Qld: Premier confirms first new case since June 26

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has confirmed Queensland has recorded its first new COVID-19 case since June 26 as fears grow about the ongoing outbreak in Victoria.

PREMIER Annastacia Palaszczuk has confirmed Queensland has recorded its first new COVID-19 case since June 26.

The case has been attributed to an Australian Defence Force officer who tested positive while in quarantine after returning from overseas

It takes the state’s total to 1068, with two cases still active.

The announcement comes as Victoria continues to battle its ongoing outbreak amid tightening border security around the state.

A statewide lockdown would be considered if the Victorian situation worsens, according to federal Health Minister Greg Hunt.

Queensland’s own border stance, which has played a key role in keeping the number of new cases down, has again come under fire, this time for its stance on international arrivals, with Victoria and NSW calling for the Sunshine State to pull its weight more.

Tuesday, 7 July – coronavirus cases in Queensland:

• 1 new confirmed cases
• 2 active cases
• 1,068 total confirmed cases
• 395,027 tests conducted

Sadly, six Queenslanders with COVID-19 have died. 1,055 patients have recovered. #covid19 pic.twitter.com/Yzp1g0YkSz

— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) July 7, 2020

Queensland has been able to boast about its days without a new recorded case, while NSW continues to record positive tests, but mostly due to international arrivals in hotel quarantine.

The matter is expected to come up at National Cabinet, with the Federal, NSW and Victorian governments reportedly keen to see the Sunshine State do more of the heavy lifting.

The Premier promised there will be ‘no chaos and confusion’ when the Queensland border reopens on Friday, despite the introduction of yet another border pass.

There were lengthy traffic jams on the southern Gold Coast last Friday when a new border pass system was introduced without warning.

A new recreational pass will be added when the border reopens this Friday - the fourth change to the system since the border closed in late March.

But launching a new interstate tourism campaign on the Gold Coast on Tuesday, Ms Palaszczuk insisted there would not be a repeat of the dramas.

“It won’t cause more chaos and confusion because the police and the government will be making sure that everybody is aware of it,” she said.

But Ms Palaszczuk warned there would still be ‘long delays’ when the border reopened at noon on Friday and urged people to think about delaying their trip into Queensland to a later time.

She revealed Queensland police were also advising NSW counterparts after that state’s decision to close its border to coronavirus-ravaged Victoria.

Commenting on the LNP’s hardline youth justice plan unveiled today, Ms Palaszczuk said it was ‘straight out of (predecessor) Campbell Newman’s playbook’.

The premier said her government was effectively tackling youth crime with initiatives including ‘strike forces’ of police and Youth Justice workers.

For the first time in 100 years, Victorians will be physically blocked from entering NSW as the state’s second wave of COVID-19 mounts.

It was Victoria’s darkest day of the coronavirus crisis, with two new deaths and a record 24-hour spike of 127.

The Victorian-NSW border will shut at 11.59pm on Tuesday and police will patrol the 55 border crossings between the two states.

Originally published as Coronavirus Qld: Premier confirms first new case since June 26