Covid-19: Queensland border crossers may face tougher controls
Annastacia Palaszczuk has flagged tougher restrictions with NSW as Queenslanders living along the border are bumped to the front of the vaccination queue.
Annastacia Palaszczuk has flagged tougher restrictions with NSW as Queenslanders living along the border are bumped to the front of the vaccination queue.
Ten local Covid-19 cases were confirmed in Queensland on Thursday; all had been in quarantine for their infectious period.
In NSW, there were 345 new local cases, with at least 60 of those in the community while contagious.
The Queensland Premier said she was “very concerned about the situation in NSW” and was considering implementing tougher border controls.
“We do not want to see this virus creeping north,” she said.
“What we are seeing now is more of these regional communities close to the Queensland border, especially out in the southwest area, going into a period of lockdown. Now is not the time to cross the border to do your shopping. Please stay in Queensland.”
Parts of northern NSW were locked down this week after a man who travelled from Sydney to look at real estate tested positive.
Ms Palaszczuk said the Health Department was working on “actually increasing our vaccination to the Queensland communities that are on that border”.
“I am quite sure this will be an issue that is raised at national cabinet [on Friday].”
Queensland is due to relax Covid restrictions on August 22 if there are no further community incursions.
Chief health officer Jeannette Young said “the minute we can remove the requirement to wear masks, I will be advising the Premier we can remove them”.
“As we continue to see these incursions of the virus, each time we will respond really fast because we know that minimises the length of time we have to put in place restrictions,” she said.
Ms Palaszczuk said she expected an increase in Queensland case numbers on Friday when thousands have mandatory swabs towards the end of their 14-day home quarantine stay.
There were 15,334 people in home quarantine on Thursday, many linked to a number of Brisbane schools at the centre of the latest outbreak. More than 6000 more people are due to finish quarantine by the weekend.
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