Nearly 200 turned back at airports as Queensland records two new locally acquired cases

Queensland has turned away a large number of passengers from NSW as the state updates its tough border restrictions.

Nearly 200 travellers have already been forced back onto planes and returned to Sydney as Queensland records two new locally acquired cases.

The Sunshine State slammed its borders closed on Thursday morning to those entering from Greater Sydney, Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Wollongong and Shellharbour, with only Queensland residents allowed to proceed to mandatory hotel quarantine.

Deputy Premier Steven Miles on Friday also revealed the restrictions would be tightened for the large population who live on the border between Queensland and NSW, with Tweed residents no longer exempt from declaration passes.

“Yesterday police turned around 186 people who attempted to enter Queensland by air and they were sent back to Sydney,” Mr Miles told reporters on Friday.

“The number of people from Sydney who will be holidaying alongside Queenslanders in northern NSW just means we need to have better visibility on people in the northern NSW area travelling through there and back into Queensland.

“Until now, we have exempted people within that northern NSW border bubble from needing a border declaration pass (but) because of the school holidays and the NSW outbreak, the Sydney outbreak, we’ll be requiring those border declaration passes for everyone who crosses the border for the period of the NSW outbreak.”

RELATED: Dr Young reveals serious concern

Dr Jeanette Young urged anyone who visited the DFO on Saturday between 4 and 4.30pm to get tested. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

The state’s chief health officer, Jeannette Young, said the two new infections reported on Friday were both already in quarantine.

“So I’m not concerned about that,” she told reporters, revealing both were connected to the flight attendant who contracted the virus while in hotel quarantine at the Four Points Hotel.

Health authorities said it was likely the two new infections were infected at the Portuguese Family Centre or were with the flight attendant on the weekend at retail stores.

Dr Young urged any shoppers who visited the DFO on Saturday between 4 and 4.30pm to come forward and get tested.

“In case there’s anyone missed, please, could you come forward and get tested so we can make sure and be very confident that we haven’t had any ongoing transmission,” she said.

The new infections come after three cases – also linked to the same woman – were recorded on Thursday.

It has been reported the flight attendant contracted the virus from another flight crew member who was staying on a different floor, which Dr Young said was likely sourced to a fully vaccinated quarantine staff member who unknowingly carried the virus between the two people.

Dr Young said she was continuing to monitor the situation in NSW closely after declaring all of Greater Sydney a hotspot and barring millions of people from entering the state.

On Thursday, she expressed serious concern about the ongoing outbreak in the neighbouring state.

“I am really, really strongly messaging, as strongly as I’ve ever done, that people should reconsider their need to travel anywhere in NSW,” she said.

“I’m as concerned … as I’ve ever been. But I’m also confident that we have got really good systems in place.”