The frustration of NSW Premier, Gladys Berejiklian, was apparent yesterday when the state reported three new cases of COVID-19 community transmission, after previously recording 12 consecutive days without community transmission, putting the planned re-opening of Queensland borders to NSW on 1 November 2020 in jeopardy.
Queensland Premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, has said Queensland will not budge on its plan to re-open its borders to NSW only when the latter state records 28 consecutive days of zero community transmission.
Queensland Health Minister Steven Miles said yesterday he is giving NSW Health 48 hours to contact trace the three new mystery cases and link them back to a known cluster before the 28-day zero transmission count re-sets on NSW.
Ms Berejiklian has expressed her dismay at Queensland’s rigid stance.
“Until the end of the pandemic, it’s highly unlikely that NSW will ever get to 28 days of no community transmission, because that is not how a pandemic works,” Ms Berejiklian said yesterday.
“Does that mean that they’ll open the borders and we’ll get a case and they’ll close again? You can’t live like that.”
Ms Berejiklian also took to Twitter to voice her growing concern about the dropping rates of COVID testing in NSW.
“We urge the community, more than ever, to come forward for testing – even with the mildest of symptoms. The higher our testing rate, the better chance we have of keeping the pandemic at bay.”
IMAGE: Caloundra, Sunshine Coast, Queensland
