COVID-19 Gold Coast: Everything you need to know about coronavirus outbreak
An extra 10,000 Holiday Dollars vouchers will be made available for Gold Coast tourism offerings as the industry looks to recover millions lost as result of the latest Covid outbreak. HAVE YOUR SAY.
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AN extra 10,000 Holiday Dollars vouchers will be made available for Gold Coast tourism offerings as the industry looks to recover millions lost as result of the latest Covid outbreak.
More than 38,000 coupons will be offered by the state government for the scheme which has been extended in a bid to deliver a much-needed financial boost to the struggling sector.
$100 coupons will be offered for Gold Coast and Brisbane experiences while Cairns visitors will received $200 vouchers which are valid until July 31.
Destination Gold Coast (DGC) CEO Patricia O’Callaghan said the extension came at a “critical time” after thousands of tourism operators were left out-of-pocket by the lockdowns, which forced the cancellation of both interstate and intrastate bookings.
“Unfortunately, the bumper school holiday period that we anticipated did not eventuate,” she said.
“With Sydney currently in lockdown and interstate travel confidence taking a hit, Destination Gold Coast has had ongoing discussions with Government about measures to support industry including marketing assistance.”
“Although the wind may have been taken out of our sails these school holidays there are hopes and plans at the ready to help our industry now when they need it the most.”
New Destination Gold Coast data reveals the city’s accommodations vacancy has fallen to a shocking 40 per cent.
“The fact is that these 10,000 vouchers are going to support an industry that has been critically hurt by the results of this pandemic,” Ms O’Callaghan said.
“We have lost millions over the course of this entire pandemic; this was the $5.9 billion industry that took a $3 billion hit.”
The Gold Coast lost more than $33 million as a result of the snap three-day lockdown. Every dollar invested in Holiday Dollars has returned an average of $2.57 to tourism operators and local economies, according to DGC research suggests
Ms O’Callaghan said any concerns over the scheme were unfounded:
“We’ve already seen the program put in over a million dollars into our economy in just a few weeks,” she said.
“We saw some green chutes of recovery, but there’s a lot (currently) going on in the country at a time when the industry is relying heavily on domestic travel.”
State Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchcliffe said it was critical the sector begin its recovery.
“It’s going to make a difference as we come out of the school holiday period and (now we can) look forward to that lull that we usually have off the back of that period,” he said.
Mr Hinchliffe said the sector would remain “suppressed” while international borders remained closed.
Tate: ‘Get the jab, holiday in Hawaii’
GOLD Coast Mayor Tom Tate wants to dangle an international travel bubble menu to frustrated locals as an incentive to get the Covid-19 jab.
While the United States has offered everything from guns to doughnuts to get vaccination rates up, Cr Tate wants locals to dream of holidays in Hawaii or Vanuatu.
Nearly 230,000 people have already booked in to have the jab through state-run centres but political leaders remain frustrated by some vaccine hesitancy in the community.
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Cr Tate said getting the public vaccinated and armed with vaccine passports was key to reopening borders and rebooting a struggling tourism industry: “The community is doing everything asked of it: wearing masks, keeping kids back from school, juggling lost wages and locking down.
“My message to state and federal leaders is get the national vaccination program sorted now, get hotel quarantine sorted now, ensure all frontline staff are fully vaccinated and get international travel bubbles opening with countries such as Singapore, Vanuatu, Hawaii and Malaysia.
“The argument about a lack of supply on vaccines is angering people. They want it sorted.”
Vaccine incentives are already being offered both in Australia and overseas. The US state of Ohio in May offered a lottery with prizes of up to $1.3 million and full university scholarships. Others offered shotguns, doughnuts and beer as incentives. In eastern Europe, Serbia offered direct cash payments of $40 while Chinese nationals were offered fresh eggs and ice cream.
Destination Gold Coast CEO Patricia O’Callaghan and Village Roadshow Theme Parks chief operating officer Bikash Randhawa are among the many business leaders who have also said getting the jab was critical to reopening the borders and returning to some sort of normality.
Cr Tate's comments came as Qantas CEO Alan Joyce on Monday backed Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews’ position that international borders should reopen once everyone had been offered the vaccine, regardless of actual vaccination rates.
“If the logic of Dan Andrews and Annastacia Palaszczuk applies, once we’ve got every adult who wants a vaccine vaccinated, then surely that should be the threshold,” Mr Joyce told The Australian.
But Queensland Airports CEO Chris Mills said it was important not to give a frustrated public false hope.
“The supply (of vaccine) and the rollout process has been inadequate and it would be frustrating to tell people there are rewards to get vaccinated when they are unable to get bookings despite doing their best,” he said.
“We have to be careful not to create false hopes, a bit like the road map announced last week which sounds nice but is light on detail. We need to stop the finger pointing and get this rollout happening.”
‘Final nail in the coffin’: Coast’s desperate plea
GOLD Coast business and political leaders say Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s pathway out of Covid-19 is too slow and will leave the city’s economy a shadow of its former self.
Shell-shocked tourism leaders attempting to salvage the school holidays following last week’s snap three-day Queensland lockdown say the economy will not survive another shutdown.
With the slow vaccine rollout set to stretch into late 2022 and beyond there are fears the return of high-spending international tourists will be years away.
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Lockdown doesn’t meet seven-day trigger for business financial aid
Mr Morrison on Friday unveiled a four-phase plan which relies on Australians getting vaccinated in exchange for greater freedom – and eventually treating Covid like the flu.
But Mayor Tom Tate warned community frustration with the state and federal governments over their handling of Covid-19 was growing and urged them to fast-track the vaccine rollout.
“Something is wrong when countries like Israel have their vaccination programs at plus 50 per cent and we struggle along with less than 10 per cent,” he said.
“There comes a point where people say ‘enough’ and I’m sensing that the pressure cooker is there.
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“It is simply not good enough for lockdowns to result from unvaccinated hospital employees moving about the community, or through poor hotel quarantine outcomes.
“The talk from the Prime Minister is not good enough,” Cr Tate said.
“Businesses large and small are on their knees. He needs to take off his political hat and put on his former tourism marketing hat.
“If this keeps up for two years, we will be years behind other global communities. Large global firms specialising in international travel will fold. And tens of thousands of employees will be the real victims of Covid.”
The National Cabinet plan, which will see governments pivot from suppressing community transmission to treating the virus like the flu, has been criticised as lacking detail and leaving Gold Coast businesses to an uncertain future.
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Village Roadshow chief operating officer Bikash Randhawa said speeding up the vaccine rollout was the key.
“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 number one 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.
“This four-stage plan needs to have clear goals because otherwise people will not know where they are going.”
Phase one of the plan, is where Australia currently sits, vaccinating the population and halving international arrivals while trialling home quarantine for vaccinated travellers. Phase 2 will see easing restrictions for vaccinated people and lifting arrival caps.
Phase 3 will be treating Covid like the flu while the final phase will be “completely back to normal”.
Home Affairs Minister blasts Queensland’s state leaders over criticism of international arrivals
Destination Gold Coast held emergency talks during the weekend with state and federal tourism bosses to try and salvage the remainder of the school holidays.
CEO Patricia O’Callaghan said the city’s marketing body would step up its advertising campaigns within the state to try and lure the drive market back to the city.
But she warned it was only a short-term solution and insisted getting the jab would be the Gold Coast’s long-term salvation.
“We are ramping up our marketing and working with Tourism and Events Queensland to show off the great deals we have here right now to salvage what’s left of the school holidays,” she said.
“The vaccine rollout is the key - it is the only way we will survive and we need to see it roll out sooner rather than later.”
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She was backed by Tourism Industry Council boss Daniel Gschwind who said the four-step pandemic exit plan was “lacking”.
‘At least there are some stepping stones that have been articulated now, but we do want more clarity and specifics,” he said.
He labelled the exit plan as “broad”, saying more specifics were needed to at least regain some faith from the public.
Federal Finance Minister Simon Birmingham was unable to say when under-40s would gain access to the Pfizer vaccine.
“There is not a fixed date that I can give you,” he told ABC’s Insiders on Sunday.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said she wanted to see more detail on the road out of Covid-19.
“Citizens of our nation would like timelines and I have made that position clear,” she said.
“I welcome the four-stage plan. It is in line with what NSW has been saying for a long time but I think the public would like to see some time frames.
Gold Coast hospitality operators say they are frustrated by the federal government’s tardy response to Covid.
“It should have been brought out six months after Covid started, not almost two years after,” Gold Coast Restaurant Association boss Glenn Day said.
“It’s absolutely ridiculous, I know it’s been tough for them, with the supply of vaccine, they hotel quarantine (but) it gives us no confidence whatsoever.”
‘Arrogant, stupid and selfish’: Coast’s furious Covid reaction
BELEAGUERED Brisbane residents have to buckle down at least another day, but Gold Coasters emerging from lockdown are encouraged to “get out in droves’’ - but not everyone is happy.
WHAT BULLETIN READERS HAD TO SAY
Peter: “I wonder what hymn sheet GC businesses would be singing from if the Delta variant actually went through Surfers Paradise and resulted in deaths? Arrogant, stupid and selfish is the description for those who aren’t willing to do whatever it takes to protect people in our community.”
Geoff: “Can someone tell me how many uncontrolled community transmission cases were recorded on the Gold Coast and South East QLD during this lockdown who were not already in isolation as a close contact? If the answer is what I think then why am I sitting in my lounge room being told I can’t go to the beach and have a coffee.”
Allan: “If there are no cases on Magnetic Island from someone who had the uncontrollable Delta strain wandering around for 4 days, I reckon the Townsville folk will be looking for answers.”
Scott: “Get a grip! Seriously. 3 days lockdown is nothing. The UK, where I currently live has been in lockdown for over 6 months now.”
READ ALL THE COMMENTS BELOW
Earlier Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced on Friday that the three-day lockdown of southeast Queensland and parts of North Queensland would be lifted at 6pm for all but the Brisbane and Moreton local government areas.
Five new cases of Covid-19 were recorded in Queensland, including three that were locally acquired.
One was the partner of the Qatar Airways case. The other two were a mother and daughter in Carindale who had been out and about extensively throughout Brisbane.
The lockdown may be over on schedule for locals, but it is estimated to have cost the Coast tens of millions of dollars and forced the cancellation of this weekend’s Gold Coast Marathon.
“I urge every Gold Coaster and our much-loved tourists to get out and about, shop, dine and play locally,’’ Mayor Tom Tate said.
“We have at least a week left of the school holidays and the weather is about to clear so please support the mum-and-dad businesses right across our city.
“These lockdowns devastate the confidence of our businesses and individuals.
“We are still calculating the economic loss but it will run into the tens of millions of dollars.
“Worse, it impacts the confidence of domestic travellers who are reluctant to book in case they get stuck here or have to scramble to return home.”
Destination Gold Coast CEO Patricia O’Callaghan was delighted the Gold Coast would come out of the shutdown but warned the long-term damage had been done, with event cancellations through to September already being recorded.
“Cancellations have moved into the remainder of the holidays so the message to every Gold Coaster is to look at a staycation and to look at the local deals we have and back these industries,” she said.
Ms O’Callaghan said she hoped Brisbane’s lockdown would lift on Saturday, describing it as a “significant” market for the Gold Coast.
“They know the Gold Coast well and they love coming to visit us,” she said.
“As for the rest of the country, there is confusion – every state has different restrictions.”
City services reopening included libraries and community centres (from Saturday morning); the Active and Healthy school holiday program (from Monday); Broadwater rockpools and bouncing pillow (weather dependent from Saturday); community pools (from Saturday); and NaturallyGC and Bushcare programs (from Monday).
The show will go on at 18-plus cabaret Infamous based in the Broadwater Parklands, with director Joseph Ashton reporting positive signs from ticket holders.
“We trained every day during the three-day lockdown,” he said.
“We are hoping the Brisbane lockdown will end so they can come down as well.
“We wish the lockdown didn’t happen because it affects businesses like ours, but all we can do is go with the flow.
“Nearly all of us have had our first jab, if not are fully vaccinated.
“We are trying to get on to it as the rest of the country should as well.”
Theme parks also reopen on Saturday.
Village Roadshow Theme Parks and Resorts chief operating officer Bikash Randhawa said Movie World, Wet’n’Wild and Sea World usually averaged 25,000 people across the first three days of school holidays, so the lockdown loss was a bitter pill.
“What was scheduled to be a blockbuster holiday period is gone and we have to recoup as much as we can,” he said.
“Tourism was brought down to its knees – we can’t keep taking blow after blow.”
Mr Randhawa said he believed vaccinations were the only way to ensure the public could get back to “normal life” again, but there needed to be a reward for those who took up the jab.
“For us, vaccination needs to be the only way forward, it needs to happen.
“We cannot have this happen again as we simply cannot afford it.
“There needs to be some sort of privilege to people who are vaccinated.
“That is key. If people see the value in what lies ahead of them in terms of lifestyle I think it will accelerate this program.”
Mayor Tate agreed there had to be “a better way”, urging locals to get vaccinated as quickly as possible to avoid further snap lockdowns.
“You can’t fight a war without bullets and I urge both levels of government to get on top of both the supply of vaccination and its distribution,” he said.
Gold Coast Chamber of Commerce president Martin Hall said lockdowns were “killing people”.
“Mental health of business operators and workers on the Coast is a major concern at the moment – it’s terrible,” he said.
“The school holidays are a write-off. All we’re seeing from this government is political sabre rattling and neglect of small business. It’s disgusting.”
Face mask wearing and gathering restrictions continue to apply on the Gold Coast:
● Residents must wear a face mask at all times when outside their home unless they are alone in their car or with members of their household; are eating or drinking; are at their usual workplace and able to physically distance from other (except if working in a hospitality venue or as a passenger transport operator); are alone outdoors or with members of their household; or it is unsafe.
● $200 on the spot fines apply for those who don’t comply.
While the message is “if in doubt, wear a face mask” there are some exceptions. Face masks do not have to be worn by:
● infants and children under the age of 12
● anyone who has a medical condition or disability that may be made worse by wearing a mask, including problems with their breathing, a serious skin condition on their face, a mental health condition or experienced trauma
● anyone who is communicating with those who are deaf or hard of hearing, where the ability to see the mouth is essential for communication
● anyone who has past experiences of trauma and is unable to wear a face mask due to psychological impacts
● anyone whose health and safety would be at risk if they wore a face mask while conducting their work, as determined through Occupational Health and Safety guidelines
● prisoners of corrective facilities or detainees in detention centres
● residents of residential aged care facilities or shared disability accommodation services
● anyone who is being married while in the process of being married
● people during an emergency.
Source: Queensland Government
Welcome back: Coast plea to recoup scary Covid losses
July 2, 2021
THE city’s leading tourism boss has put out the call to southeast Queensland residents to come back to the Gold Coast in a bid to recoup some of the $33 million lost to the lockdown.
Destination Gold Coast CEO Patricia O’Callaghan was delighted the Gold Coast would come out of the shutdown but warned the long-term damage had been done, with event cancellations through to September already being recorded.
Ms O’Callaghan said local operators were hurting in the aftermath of the lockdown and urged Gold Coasters to show them support.
“This has been nerve-racking and we welcome news the restrictions are lifting,” she said.
“Anyone who can book a holiday should book one – we have the capacity.
“Cancellations have moved into the remainder of the holidays so the message to every Gold Coaster is to look at a staycation and to look at the local deals we have and back these industries.”
Ms O’Callaghan said she hoped Brisbane’s lockdown would lift on Saturday, describing it as a “significant” market for the Gold Coast.
“They know the Gold Coast well and they love coming to visit us.
“As for the rest of the country there is confusion – every state has different restrictions.”
‘Total over-reaction’: Fury over lockdown pain – July 1
SHATTERED Gold Coast business owners say the three-day snap lockdown is an “over-reaction” and lessons learnt from it should ensure it never happens again.
Hospitality bosses already reeling from 15 months of Covid uncertainty say the government’s snap three-day lockdown this week forced them to lay off staff and throw out significant amounts of food bought in anticipation of a bumper school holidays.
They fear the decision has had an enormous impact on consumer confidence at a time when the city was recovering via a rebounding domestic market.
They are also heavily critical of a lack of support from the Palaszczuk government when
compared to the financial packages put forward by the NSW and Victorian regimes during their shutdowns.
Surfers Paradise restaurant boss Nuccia Fusco said she was frustrated that a Covid-free Gold Coast could be closed effectively overnight because of a handful of cases elsewhere in the state.
“We were right at the start of the school holidays and Victorians were finally getting the confidence to come up here and this will have destroyed confidence,” said the co-owner of Costa D’Oro.
“Three days does not seem that bad, but that’s three days without wages for staff and the loss of income is huge.
“The shutdown was an absolute over-reaction and all it has done for the Gold Coast is create uncertainty.”
Gold Coast Central Chamber of Commerce president Martin Hall said many businesses viewed the lockdown as an over-reaction but said the lack of financial support from the state government was a greater concern.
“These school holidays are a write-off from a commercial point of view and the response to the outbreak did not seem proportional,” he said.
“(The lack of financial support) is embarrassing when you compare it to the immediate reaction from NSW to help its businesses in lockdown.”
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced a business support package when she confirmed the state would go into a two-week lockdown to stamp out the out-of-control spread of the highly contagious Delta strain.
The Queensland lockdown announced on Tuesday morning is due to end 6pm Friday, and both business and political leaders say they are increasingly confident it will not be extended.
Cr Tate said he felt for businesses struggling through this lockdown – and the overall pandemic – but felt “quietly confident” operators would be able to open over the weekend.
CEO Patricia O’Callaghan warned this week’s lockdown would further erode travel confidence and have a long-term impact on the thousands of local businesses dependant on tourism for survival.
“Hopefully on Friday if everyone does the right thing and the results come in strong that the restrictions will ease,” she said.
“We are definitely seeing an impact on confidence across the country – it’s not just Queensland going through this and trying to restimulate this is going to be difficult, but I think we can do it. It just won’t be easy.”
Change to Coast border pass requirements
GOLD Coast drivers travelling to and from Tweed Heads will now require two different border passes.
NSW Health on Tuesday night introduced a requirement for anyone from Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia and the Northern Territory must now complete an entry declaration form.
This is in addition to a Queensland Health-required pass introduced last week in the wake of Sydney’s Covid outbreak.
While no hard border has been introduced, police have stepped up their patrols on the border in the past week.
EARLIER
THE Gold Coast’s tourism boss says the snap lockdown has sparked an escalating wave of cancellations as borders close to southeast Queensland.
Destination Gold Coast CEO Patrica O’Callaghan said it has been a “heartbreaking” week and the industry was hoping for a short lockdown.
“We know the lockdown will be challenging for our (tourism) businesses,” she said.
“We know we have been down this road before. We want this to be short and sharp.
“It is heartbreaking. It’s been a long 18 months and we just need to get through this next 72 hours and salvage what we can.
“We have had a significant number of cancellations. The impact has been immediate.”
Ms O’Callaghan said talks were ongoing about financial support for tourism operators hit hard by the lockdown.
FULL LIST: Events cancelled on the Gold Coast
“We need to work with state and federal government to see how we can support and salvage our school holidays,” she said.
“We had been on track for a strong (school holidays period) but now we have to see what measures we can provide.”
EARLIER
THE Gold Coast’s crucial school holidays period has been dealt another devastating blow, with Victorian visitors now blocked from entering the state.
FULL LIST OF COAST EXPOSURE SITES BELOW
Victoria has declared southeast Queensland a red zone just after Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced the region would go into a snap three-day lockdown.
The knock-on effect is expected to be significant on events scheduled across the week, including this week’s Gold Coast Marathon.
Mayor Tom Tate urged all Gold Coasters to wear masks and abide by lockdown rules and warned the city to brace a significant hit.
LOCKDOWN: How the Coast is reacting
“It starts tonight. After that, the next 24 hours will be crucial to see if we are containing this virus,” he said.
“Wear masks, don’t travel at all unless essential and do everything asked by the health officials.
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“These major events, sometimes are 18 months in the making. We feel it when people can’t come to events and events themselves have to be cancelled.
“But when it comes to safety we have to protect our city and we will move on from here.
“As far as various events are concerned, it’s one of those things that is a casualty.”
Cr Tate said he expected the marathon to be affected by the lockdown/
“When you run a marathon you can’t put a mask on,” he said.
“I will be guided by the health authority. If it is reduced in numbers or whatever Covid plan they have, I support as close to normality as possible.
“I have got to be guided by the medical officer.”
EARLIER
GOLD Coast sites are now listed as Covid-19 exposure sites in Queensland.
The Woolworths supermarket and also the BWS bottle shop at the Oasis Shopping Centre in Broadbeach are now on a long list of Queensland exposure sites listed by Queensland Health.
The time frame for the exposure at the two Broadbeach venues are 1.25pm to 1.50pm at the Woolworths and 1.30pm to 2pm at the BWS both on Saturday, June 26.
Other sites:
* BP Stapylton in Yatala on June 26 from 11.55am-12.20pm
* Broadbeach Savannah Hotel and Resort in Surf Parade from 12.50-6pm
* Oasis Shopping Centre from 1.15-2.10pm.
Queensland Health is also urging anyone on two Virgin airline flights to get tested, isolate and remain in lockdown regardless of their results.
* Virgin Flight VA517 – Sydney to Gold Coast – 11.14am – 12.40pm
* Virgin Flight VA524 – Gold Coast to Sydney – 1.26-2.47pm
If you visited the Woolworths between 1.25pm and 1.50pm on Saturday and the BWS between 1.30pm and 2pm Saturday, Queensland Health urges the following advice:
* Immediately travel by private transport directly to your home or accommodation and quarantine
* Get tested at your earliest opportunity
* Complete the online contact tracing form by clicking on the name for the relevant location in the table below.
* If you are unable to complete the contact tracing form please call 134 Covid (134 268).
continue to quarantine even after receiving a negative result. After you complete the contact tracing form you will be contacted by Queensland Health.
WHERE TO GET TESTED ON THE GOLD COAST
For a full list of testing locations, including private and drive through clinics please visit the Queensland Health COVID-19 Testing Page.
Pain and anger: Gold Coast’s biggest events caught in Covid chaos
A WAVE of cancellations have hit Gold Coast hospitality venues and events, with fears for the city’s biggest – the looming marathon – and a venue operator fuming at restrictions.
The deteriorating Covid-19 situation has dealt a devastating blow to the Gold Coast’s struggling tourism industry at the beginning of the winter school holidays.
Restaurants, hotels and the Gold Coast Marathon, due to be run July 3-4, have had phones ringing off the hook, with cancellations coming “thick and hard”.
Destination Gold Coast CEO Patricia O’Callaghan said the city’s biggest industry was facing a devastating and significant blow.
“It’s been a heartbreaking weekend and we are seeing the impacts these restrictions immediately on the industry,” she said.
“The reality is our industry is on the frontline, it is the first to bare the brunt of this Covid situation and it is not easy.
“We are hearing that cancellations are coming through thick and hard and certainly we are in a holding pattern at the moment, awaiting messages from the Prime Minister and the Premier.”
Ms O’Callaghan said she was concerned about the impact of the cancellations on the marathon, already being run without the normal line-up of international competitors.
“The impact on the marathon is exceptionally hard right now because they are seeing cancellations come through,” she said.
“There are concerns (about potential postponement or cancellation) of all events, including the marathon as this situation evolves.
“Every hour of every day the situation changes and we are all in a holding pattern right now.”
Ms O’Callaghan on Monday morning pleaded the city’s case in an online meeting with state Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe and Federal Tourism Minister Dan Tehan.
She said urgent financial support was needed to stop the bleeding.
“Both levels of government are asking what they can do to support and we know there was previously business support measures.
“There have to be some lines of support to help an industry that has had a rollercoaster of an 18 months and will continue to bear the brunt.
“We were relying on these school holidays, they were going to be a critical part of our recovery.
“I am confident we can come out of this with additional (support) measures.”
Artesian Hospitality partner Matt Keegan – whose Surfers Paradise stable includes two bar-restaurants White Rhino and Surfers Pavilion plus three nightclubs – is furious at the new restrictions.
Ms Palaszczuk reverted to a one patron per two square metre rule for venues, having lifted it last week, and requires patrons at all venues to be seated again as well as wear masks.
Mr Keegan told the Bulletin said it was time the government started reacting to the situations that unfolded with virus breakouts based on “facts not fear – especially when we are talking people’s livelihoods.”: “It’s time we started being more targeted in ensuring it isn’t unnecessarily impacted every time something pops up.
“Coronavirus isn’t going away. We’ve been dealing with the pandemic for over 18 months, we should have learned a lot, we have robust tracing in place, people are being vaccinated, we can handle it better than this,” Mr Keegan said.
“The snap implementation of these measures will again mean significant job losses or reduced pay at best for staff – and for some people it’ll likely mean the end of their business.
“The uncertainty of this continuing to happen must stop – people can’t live their lives not knowing if they’ll have a pay cheque the next week when there are other ways to deal with this virus.
“I feel for everyone in the hospitality sector right now.”
Coast ‘on edge’ over looming Covid threat
THE Gold Coast is on edge after the Covid-19 crisis escalated over the weekend when an infected flight attendant flew into the city on Saturday.
The flight crew member was aboard Virgin flight VA517 which travelled from Sydney to the Gold Coast before refuelling and travelling to Melbourne.
Gold Coast Airport boss Chris Mills confirmed the infected Virgin staffer did not leave the plane, however 60 passengers did.
“The crew member did not get off the plane, so there was nothing from an airport point of view that we were concerned about.
“However, we are liaising carefully with Virgin and Queensland Health.”
Contact tracing is underway for the passengers who disembarked from the plane and all will be required to quarantine for 14 days.
FULL LIST: EVERY GOLD COAST TOWER DEVELOPMENT
Chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young said: “Fortunately the flights were fairly empty because of the restrictions in Sydney.”
Dr Young said it was likely the flight crew member had the highly contagious Delta variant of Covid-19.
The Sydney-Gold Coast flight was one of five the infected person made on Friday and Saturday.
It came amid significant and rapid developments on Sunday which included:
• Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced the return of Covid restrictions which had only been wound back on Friday, with pubs, clubs and cafes reverting to the one person per two square metres rule, while private gatherings at homes will be limited to no more than 100 people, including children and infants. The new restrictions, which will come into effect at 6am Monday, will last until Sydney’s lockdown is lifted.
• Queensland recorded two new local cases were a woman who worked at the DFO at Brisbane Airport and her partner. Neither have Delta strain.
• Sydney recorded 30 new local cases, taking the Bondi cluster to 110 cases.
• Rural NSW recorded its first new case after a man in his 30s became exposed to the virus while at the Granites gold mine in the Northern Territory before returning home to Glen Innes. He is now in isolation.
• New Zealand temporarily suspended its travel bubble with Australia in response to the Sydney outbreak.
• Darwin, Palmerston and the rural areas surrounding the Northern Territory capital went into a 48-hour lockdown after four locally acquired cases were recorded.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk strongly warned against any travel to NSW.
“We haven’t seen the likes of this before, because this is the highly contagious strain,” she said.
“Reconsider any travel to NSW, especially in this lockdown period.”
Ms Palaszczuk also welcomed a call by Mayor Tom Tate to relocate the third State of Origin game to the Gold Coast but said no discussions would be held until after last night’s game, which went ahead despite the fast-evolving situation.
There are now 40 active cases in Queensland, with 7301 Covid tests done in the 24 hours to 10am, Sunday.
More than 10,000 vaccines were administered during the same period.
Ms Palaszczuk said: “If you are eligible to get your vaccine, please do. It is absolutely critical – we are seeing what is happening in NSW.”
Gold Coast police over the weekend ramped up their presence on the border with NSW, with patrol cars continuing to monitor traffic coming into the state in a bid to prevent travel from locked-down Sydney.
More than 90,000 people have applied for border passes since their reintroduction last week ahead of the school holidays.
There are currently no plans for a return to the hard border checkpoints.
Cr Tate said already struggling Gold Coast businesses would be hit hard by the rapidly evolving situation and pleaded with locals to get vaccinated.
“This latest incident underscores how important vaccination is.
“Do it for your family, do it for yourself and do it for every Gold Coast and Queensland business,” he said
“I accept that State health advice must be adhered to but I urge the CMO (Dr Young) to please take a cautionary approach because uncertainty rocks confidence so please consider a measured response.
“My message to every Gold Coaster is: buy local, play local and holiday local. Businesses need our wallets right now.”
Originally published as COVID-19 Gold Coast: Everything you need to know about coronavirus outbreak
Simple holiday booking hack that we all forgot about
Forget about how many shopping days until Christmas, it’s time to start saving for summer holidays … and it might not be as tough as you think
First look: Inside Gold Coast’s newest Asian-inspired restaurant
The southern Gold Coast will be home to the city’s newest Asian-inspired restaurant featuring sushi, pork buns and beef dumplings. See the exclusive tour inside