Coronavirus Queensland: 10 new cases, stricter travel bans start

Queensland has recorded just 10 new coronavirus cases overnight despite more than 3,000 tests done yesterday under an expanded regimen. But new travel restrictions will come into force requiring all travelling Queenslanders to have a border pass.

Queensland has recorded just 10 new coronavirus cases overnight, taking the state’s total to 953.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said Queenslanders were doing a good job but flagged tougher travel restrictions would come into force.

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More than 3,000 patients were tested yesterday with only 10 returning positive results. Overall, 66,700 tests have been done since the pandemic began.

There are 33 people being treated in hospital for COVID-19, with 11 in ICU.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has flagged tougher travel restrictions (AAP Image/Dan Peled)

However, residents who travel to a declared hotspot in NSW will need to quarantine for 14 days when they return from midnight tomorrow.

BAN LOOPHOLE: OUTSIDERS SNEAKING INTO LOCKED-DOWN STRADDIE

WHAT YOU CAN AND CAN’T DO OVER EASTER

The State Government also announced all Queensland residents will require a border pass when returning back into the state.

There were no changes to interstate freight.

Police Minister Mark Ryan said no one was immune to the strict border controls - not even Queenslanders

Ms Palaszczuk said now was not the time to go into NSW.

“We are not ruling out further measures into the future,” she said.

“Stay in your state.

“Stay in your region as much as possible.

“Let’s not put all of our good work at risk.”

Queensland police have also handed out 239 on-the-spot fines of $1,334 for people breaching social distancing guidelines.

More than 3,000 compliance checks have been conducted on people in quarantine and 5,400 checks have been conducted on non-essential businesses.

It comes as a Queensland woman who should have been in quarantine was fined twice and arrested for failing to isolate herself.

Police commissioner Katarina Carroll said it was one of the worst examples she’s seen.

In court today, the woman said she kept leaving quarantine because the hotel ‘was not replacing towels daily’.

Traffic police have also revealed how they plan to stop Brisbane daytrippers heading down to the Gold Coast over the Easter weekend.

Queensland Police also revealed 67,000 vehicles had been intercepted along the Queensland/NSW border with 947 turned around, 2,600 directed to quarantine and 39 refused entry to Queensland at domestic airports.

From today, Gold Coast police will patrol the M1 southern lanes, pulling over out-of-town cars and giving them two options; go home, or go home with a $1334 fine.

The tough new measures are aimed at slowing the spread of coronavirus, with the Easter break seen as a battleground in the war against the continued spread.

STATE GOVERNMENT TO BUY GLADSTONE HOSPITAL

Queensland will buy a private regional hospital in a bid to strengthen the response to the COVID-19 crisis.

The Mater Hospital in Gladstone will be purchased by the government and added to the Central Queensland hospital and health service, says health minister Steven Miles.

It will allow the government to establish a dedicated COVID-19 ward of 34 beds and an intensive care unit of 12 beds.

The sale has not been finalised and the health minister did not reveal the price.

“We are working through a model which will allow private providers to continue to operate from that hospital,” Mr Miles said.

There have been ten additional confirmed cases of coronavirus in Queensland overnight as authorities continue to clamp down on travel across the state. Queenslanders have also been warned if they do travel to a COVID-19 hotspot anywhere in the country over Easter, they will be required to go into 14-day isolation from midnight on Friday.

Greater Sydney is expected to be declared a hotspot, along with other areas of NSW and Victoria.

“You should not be leaving your own home at this point of time,” Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said on Thursday.

“We cannot relax. We need to remain vigilant. If we relax the restrictions we could see a rapid increase in the number of COVID cases as we have seen in other countries.”

That means now even Queenslanders returning to the state will require a pass and exemptions to strict coronavirus regulations to get home.

Police said they are making themselves more visible and are monitoring traffic flow throughout the state to clamp down on people who ignore directions not to travel over Easter.

Islands off the Queensland coast and national parks throughout the state have been closed to visitors.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the threat of the global pandemic is far from being over.

“Do the right thing and stay in Queensland,” she said.

“Stay in your state, stay in your region, stay in your suburb. “It is not over, it is a long way from it being over.”

BOTTOM LINE WILL TAKE A HIT

TREASURER Jackie Trad has applauded the mining and agricultural sectors for propping up the Queensland economy during the coronavirus crisis, but warns the state’s bottom line will take a hit.

Asked today how the budget will fare in the longer term, the Treasurer said mining and agriculture were the standouts.

“They are keeping us fed and there is revenue coming in the door,” she said.

“But we do anticipate significant drops in GST revenue from the Commonwealth.

“We know that people are unlikely to be buying or selling houses so there will be a drop in stamp duty transfers, so there will be significant reductions in revenue.”

Ms Trad said she expected Queensland would increase its borrowings to pay for some of the measures the Government has introduced to combat the virus.

It’s still not known when either a full or partial budget will be delivered.

“If it’s a full budget, that is what I am working towards, it does depend on how much our economy stabilizes between now and then,” Ms Trad said.

“I think it is the case that until we do see a stabilisation in the markets, until we actually understand how much our economy is going to wake up and when it’s going to wake up it’s going to be very hard to forecast revenues.”

She said there were some estimates that Queensland’s unemployment rate could hit 12 per cent.

Originally published as Coronavirus Queensland: 10 new cases, stricter travel bans start