Coronavirus Covid-19: Queensland refuses to join transtasman travel bubble

Queensland Prime Minister Annastacia Palaszczuk has ruled out the state joining a proposed transtasman travel bubble.

Palaszczuk today warned of the “catastrophic” consequences if Australia’s international borders are opened.

It has faced strong criticism for its strict approach to the border of its own state, but finally revealed this morning that it would be open to Victoria on December 1.

However, Palaszczuk insisted that it was still too early in the fight against the coronavirus to commit to a trans-Tasman bubble.

“I understand that AHPPC (Australian Health Protection Principles Committee) has concerns about New Zealand at the moment, so I think we need to be very cautious there as well,” he told ABC radio.

Currently, Kiwi travelers can only travel to New South Wales, South Australia and the Northern Territory without being quarantined for two weeks.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has repeatedly emphasized a cautious approach to the prospect of unquarantined travel to Australia.

She has recognized that there were still cases of coronavirus popping up in those places abroad and it was necessary to tread carefully.

Ardern said that one of the problems, which he also raised with his Australian counterpart, Prime Minister Scott Morrison, was trying to get more clarity on the internal border (restrictions) within Australia.

‘Catastrophic’ warning

Palaszczuk wants the same level of caution to be applied at Australia’s international border so the country doesn’t open up to a third wave.

“If Australia is going to open up to Australia, the last thing we want to see, to put Australians at risk, is a large-scale opening of our international borders, that would be catastrophic,” he said on ABC news this morning.

“Our nationwide hotel quarantine, now that we open Australia to Australia, needs to be even tighter.

“We still have to live in a COVID-proof world, unfortunately things are not normal, and what we are seeing abroad in the Northern Hemisphere just needs a hotel quarantine outbreak and returns to the starting point.”