Zero new Qld COVID-19 cases as police replace defence personnel at border

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has enquired about an app that allows police to monitor people in self-isolation while announcing zero coronavirus cases overnight.

Queensland has again recorded no new coronavirus cases as Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk admits she is intrigued by a WA government app that allows police to check-in with those self-isolating at home.

The app will allow more home isolation and ease the demand on hotels with the number of international arrivals requiring quarantine set to increase.

Ms Palaszczuk said she had contacted WA Premier Mark McGowan about the app in the hope it may be able to be applied to Queensland’s quarantine regulations.

“What we will do, though, is they are launching an app and I’m very keen to know more about that,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“I texted Mark McGowan last night, I’ve asked for more information and we’ll be watching very carefully what they do in Western Australia with that app.”

Dubbed the G2G Now App, is designed to “complement the work of WA police” in what Mr McGowan suggested on Tuesday was an “Australian-first”.

Ms Palaszczuk also announced $28 million to fund two new wharves in far north Queensland to service ‘patrol boats’.

The wharves would be 100m and 80m long and provide “hundreds of jobs’ in the future.

Wednesday, 30 September – coronavirus cases in Queensland:

• 0 new confirmed cases
• 5 active cases
• 1,157 total confirmed cases
• 1,110,992 tests conducted

Sadly, six Queenslanders with COVID-19 have died. 1,142 patients have recovered.#COVID19 pic.twitter.com/W00AOiNPhH

— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) September 29, 2020

The announcement comes just four weeks out from the state election and as Queensland reopens its borders to more northern NSW residents from Thursday.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk thanked Queenslanders for their work stopping the coronavirus spread. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Richard Gosling

On social media on Wednesday, Ms Palaszczuk thanked Queenslanders for their work in stopping the spread of the virus, as the global death toll reached one million.

“Of those more than 1 million deaths, six were Queenslanders,” she tweeted.

“This pandemic isn’t over, and we don’t want to see any more Queenslanders dying from this disease. Keep following the health advice.”

From Wednesday, there will be no ADF personnel manning the Queensland border, a day before allowing travel between the state and parts of northern NSW, including Byron, Ballina and Lismore.

Ahead of the border softening from 1am on Thursday, Gold Coast police chief superintendent Mark Wheeler urged motorists to be patient, with delays expected for the long weekend.

He said 15 extra police would replace the 60 defence force members withdrawing from the border.

From Thursday, Queenslanders will be able to travel to Byron Bay and vice versa without needing to quarantine, but they must have valid border declaration passes.