Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is expected to announce on Friday whether the border with NSW will reopen on November 1.

October 30, 2020

Queenslanders are expected to learn on Friday if the border with NSW will be reopened amid continued COVID-19 outbreaks in that state.

The border between the two states closed in August, with Queensland saying it would reopen it on November 1 if NSW has control of virus outbreaks in the community.

That was thrown into jeopardy on Thursday when the southern state recorded another mysterious virus case with no links to a known cluster.

NSW health officials have 48 hours to establish a connection, but that may not come before Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk meets with the state’s Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young on Friday to take advice on the border reopening.

Dr Young has previously said NSW must achieve 28 days with no community transmission for the border to reopen.

Ms Palaszczuk has repeatedly said she won’t put Queensland lives at risk by reopening it too early.

“I have to do what I have to do to keep Queenslanders safe,” she said on Thursday while campaigning for re-election on the Gold Coast.

The border has become an election issue with Labor warning voters the Liberal National Party can’t be trusted to make sound decisions to protect the community from the virus.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian have also waded into the debate, with both repeatedly urging Queensland to open the border sooner than later.

It’s a call echoed by business groups, who say the closed border is stifling trade and crippling profits.

The border with NSW closed on August 8, with access only permitted to frontier residents, essential workers, freight drivers and people granted medical or compassionate exemptions.

Ms Palaszczuk said she expects to inform the public of the border decision before midday.