Aaron Bunch Journalist with Australian Associated Press | Collection of published work | + 61 484 008 119 | abunch@aap.com.au
Qld could reset NSW border clock
Queensland could reset the border clock for NSW if its health officials can’t trace a number of mystery cases of COVID-19 before Thursday night.
October 8, 2020
Queensland has recorded no new cases of COVID-19, as the state waits to see if NSW can find the source of three mystery COVID-19 cases before resetting the clock to reopen the border.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk urged people to keep presenting for coronavirus tests.
“But that’s fabulous news,” she said of the no new cases which campaigning on Thursday in Townsville.
There are just four active cases in the state, with 6729 virus tests completed in the 24 hours to Thursday morning.
Deputy Premier Steven Miles on Wednesday said plans to reopen the border with NSW at the end of the month may be delayed if NSW Health can’t find the source of the unlinked cases in the next 48 hours.
The border between the two states has been closed since August 8 with Queensland setting NSW a target of 28 days of unlinked community transmission before it fully reopens.
NSW on Thursday said it now had eight new locally acquired virus cases, including the three flagged on Wednesday, ending the state’s 12 consecutive days without any community transmission.
Dr Miles has said NSW has until Thursday night to link those cases or the border clock could be reset.
“The contact tracers in NSW will have 48 hours to see if they can scientifically link these cases to existing clusters.”