Covid Qld: No new community cases recorded, border bubble bursts

Queensland’s Chief Health Officer has confirmed the Byron and Tweed shires will become part of the restricted New South Wales border zone from 1am tomorrow after a new case sent those areas back into lockdown.

Residents of the Byron and Tweed local government areas will be banned from entering Queensland after a Covid-19 case forced the regions into a snap lockdown.

Queensland’s Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young has determined the Byron and Tweed shires would become part of the restricted New South Wales border zone from 1am on September 22.

Border zone residents who have been to Byron and Tweed will only be allowed to enter Queensland for limited essential purposes.

Queensland residents may only return to Queensland if they have entered a restricted area for limited essential purposes.

People from a non-restricted local government area who must travel through a hotspot to enter Queensland can do so if they transit using private transport without stopping.

Anyone who is in Queensland but has visited the area in the past 14 days should get tested if they have symptoms and isolate until they receive a negative result.

A public health alert has also been issued for Brisbane Domestic Airport after a previously confirmed positive case transited from New South Wales to the Northern Territory, via Brisbane.

The case was infectious on the flight to Brisbane and in the airport on September 17.

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said there had been “some cases” in the northern part of the state.

“It (lockdown) will be initially for seven days,” he said.

The stay-at-home orders also apply to anyone who has been in the affected areas since the following dates:

Kempsey LGA - 14 September

Byron LGA - 18 September

Tweed LGA - 18 September

There were 1,022 new cases recorded in NSW the 24 hours to 8pm on Sunday and 10 people died from the virus.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is expected to make an announcement about the NSW border bubble. Pic Cody Fox

Earlier, it was revealed that Queensland has recorded no new cases of Covid-19 while Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk urged people to get vaccinated and trust health advice.

“Do not listen to misinformation on Facebook or social media,” she said.

“Go and see your doctor or come to one of our vaccination hubs.”

Ms Palaszczuk also confirmed the state’s vaccination total had hit the 60 per cent mark following the “Super Pfizer Weekend” campaign that ended a record 325,000 week in which 325,000 jabs were administered.

She again defended questions over the efficacy of Queensland Health’s exemption unit - declaring there was a “massive outbreak” of Covid-19 in New South Wales which meant the unit was required.

“If the virus came in here from New South Wales or Victoria then we would be in lockdown,” she said.

Ms Palaszczuk said Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young would determine whether to halt Queensland’s border bubble with the Tweed region after the Byron case.

“It’s a wait and see at the moment,” she said.

The Premier insisted she was not considering delaying Queensland’s opening until the state’s vaccination rate hit 90 per cent.

“That is misinformation that was being pedalled today,” she said.

“Let me say categorically, national cabinet is working on a national plan.”

Ms Palaszczuk pointed to Victoria’s roadmap, which will permit 30 people into a home once vaccination rates hit 80 per cent.

“We already have 100 people allowed into our homes, we have Queenslanders going about their normal business, going to cafes, restaurants and shops,” she said.

“We have record bookings at the moment for school holidays.”

The Premier revealed a Director-General in the Wide Bay was forced to stay in a caravan park due to the lack of vacancy.

As Queensland’s vaccination rate reaches 60 per cent, Ms Palaszczuk said there was still a risk of Covid-19 creeping across the border.

“We would have to go into lockdown then we would be fighting to get our freedoms back,” she said.

“I am trying to get Queenslanders vaccinated to protect our lifestyle and to protect our freedom.”

Ms Palaszczuk said national cabinet was working on a plan to limit lockdowns and border restrictions once further modelling from the Doherty Institute was available.

New analysis by The Courier-Mail shows Queensland could have 80 per cent of the community aged 16 and older fully vaccinated by November 13 if the state government made “Super Pfizer Weekends” a fixture and other areas of the rollout collectively grew 5 per cent each week.

On that forecast, Queensland would hit 90 per cent of the adult population fully vaccinated by November 23, six days sooner than the current national forecast, assuming supply remains unhampered and demand is sustained.

But keeping Queensland’s borders shut until it reaches a 90 per cent vaccination rate will only extend the pain for the downtrodden holiday sector, the state’s peak tourism body says.

Originally published as Covid Qld: No new community cases recorded, border bubble bursts