Access is not a proper bubble

around Coolangatta had improved in recent days: “It’s such a beautiful community, it’s been so amazing to see the support from the rest of the Gold Coast. We’ve had so many customers come down for the day to shop or to eat.”

“The other business owners, their spirits seem to have been lifted since it all started. Everyone’s a bit more positive, cheerful.”

TWEED students and essential workers will be allowed into Queensland from Monday but local residents will remain trapped on either side of the border after Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced a relaxation of restrictions.

Ms Palaszczuk’s easing of restrictions comes as NSW recalled its lockdown in the Tweed Shire from 12.01am on Saturday after the area recorded no new Covid cases for at least 14 days.

“Students and essential workers will be able to travel from the 12 LGAS where restrictions have eased, into Queensland,” she said.

“That will come into effect 1am Monday morning.”

Chief health officer Dr Jeanette Young said travel into Queensland was dependent on anyone crossing into the state having not been visited by anyone from any current “lockdown” areas in the past 14 days.

Queensland Deputy Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said the easing of restrictions would not mean an easing of their policing of vehicles entering the state.

THE Gold Coast Bulletin, 7 Gold Coast News and Triple M are partnering in an initiative to help the Coolangatta business community recover from the devastating impact of the border closure.

We will continue to profile businesses over the next week, hoping to draw visitors to our southern suburbs in support.

You can get behind the campaign by sharing your pics and experiences in Coolangatta with the hashtag #careforcooly. residents some freedom to go to work and school.

“I’ve received hundreds of heartbreaking messages from people,” he said.

“And while it’s a big relief for many people and we’ll take it, we need to keep working for a full border bubble like we had last year whereby people can move around within the border towns freely.”

Mayor Tom Tate was “delighted”.

“The heart breaks when those people in Coolangatta and Tweed are dropping their income by 70 per cent and losing their livelihood, the stress, there’s tremendous stress in that,” he said.

“That’s the part that hasn’t been taken into account as much.”

But the move has underwhelmed thousands of border residents who will still not be able to visit friends and family.

“You shouldn’t say the border bubble is returning because it’s not,” local Jenna Christian.

“It’s super restricted and people still can’t cross to see family etc. I mean it’s great news for kids to go to school and people to go to work, but it’s not a border bubble.” said he