Premier cautious on easing rules

this course” despite repeated low numbers of new COVID-19 cases.

“We’ll be looking at a number of options but I don’t want to give anyone false hope,” she said. “What we need to be very careful about here, and I’ve made it very clear, is that we do not want to see those massive spikes that we saw in European countries and the United

States. I’m saying to Queenslanders that we have your best interests at heart. These are tough times.”

The State Government will begin to formulate a plan for how Queensland’s distancing, isolation and lockdown rules will be lifted, but refused to speculate on what would trigger the easing.

“We’ll go now and work through all of that but of course it’s going to depend on surveilling the new cases and where they’re coming from, but also to the rate of community transmission and what areas they may come from.”

Towns and cities outside southeast Queensland could be the first unlocked, with the Premier promising to look closely at regional responses.

CHINESE Governmentowned airlines are considering an offer to buy the embattled Virgin Australia Group in lastminute takeover talks that could prevent the carrier’s “catastrophic” collapse.

Well-placed sources have told News Corp the Government, through China Southern Airlines, China East Airlines and Air China, is understood to be in discussions about purchasing the Queensland-based carrier, but no formal offer has been lodged.

An approach by the Chinese carriers could vindicate the Morrison government’s call for Virgin Australia to find a market-led solution to its cash problems instead of relying on a “blank cheque” from taxpayers.

The joint approach from two Chinese carriers would likely require approval from the Foreign Investment Review Board and, if approved, could prevent Virgin Australia from collapsing into voluntary administration.

It comes as North Queensland Senator Nita Green called for the Federal Government to take an equity stake in Virgin Australia to ensure its future