DON’T BLOW IT NOW
FNQ told to take it slow with new year to be sealed without a kiss
FAR Northerners champing at the bit to be unleashed from restrictions are being told life, as we remember it, is unlikely until well into the new year.
With only two active coronavirus cases in the Far North region, Cairns MP Michael Healy and new Deputy Premier Steven Miles said the number of those in quarantine were also considered as part of their staged strategy out of restrictions.
There are more than 2000 people in quarantine in Queensland with 115 in the Far North.
Mr Miles said those in quarantine had the potential to spread the virus.
Mr Healy said while more restrictions would be relaxed this weekend, it could be a couple of years before shaking hands and kissing friends returned to “normal”.
A CAIRNS MP has warned it could be “well into the new year” before life as we remember it returns across the Far North.
There are only two active coronavirus cases in the Far North region and a total of 33 recovered cases.
The Far North’s official tally of diagnosed coronavirus cases is sitting at 35, with 115 people in self-quarantine as of yesterday.
Member for Cairns Michael Healy said Cairns and the Far North was also ahead of any other region in Queensland for fever testing, with 160 people a day still getting tested at the region’s six fever clinics.
He said while the Far North was tracking well compared to some other parts of the state, it was no time to relax.
“I think that we will be practising these (social distancing) protocols well into the new year,” Mr Healy said.
“So ‘normal’ might not be for quite sometime.
“It could be a couple of years if you consider shaking hands and kissing friends as ‘normal’.
“I know just like everybody else, I’m very keen to see everything open up and jobs back and tourists back, but it’s got to be gradual.
“We have to temper this with an element of caution because we know moving forward if we do it right, we won’t have to step back.”
Mr Healy said it would take a vaccine to be in place before conditions would completely return to pre-coronavirus.
“We are doing an outstanding job and we need to make sure we continue,” he said.
“There could be few things worse than seeing an escalation in our numbers and having to reintroduce some of those measures that we have recently released.
“My discussions with government departments are all about moving forward in a positive light, looking at opening up industries, looking at providing guidelines to industries so they know.
“We’re definitely progressing in the right direction, I understand that some people are frustrated but this is about the preservation of life.”
Deputy Premier and Minister for Health Steven Miles told the Cairns Post “lifting restrictions too quickly could plummet cases in our state to deadly levels”.
“As the Premier said on the ABC’s Q&A program (Monday night), more than 2000 people are still in quarantine throughout Queensland, including Cairns and the Far North, which means they have the potential to have and spread the virus,” he said.
“It’s so important we don’t get complacent.”
Mr Miles said the Government’s decisions on easing restrictions were based on the advice of the Chief Health Officer.
“Case numbers are not the only consideration,” he said. “The number of people in quarantine is also a vital factor.”