Rallying for travel zone
Traders hope new case won’t burst bubble
PRESSURE is still mounting on Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to introduce a north Queensland travel bubble, despite another coronavirus case being diagnosed in Cairns.
Business operators pleading with the State Government to allow free travel between the Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Whitsundays and outback regions had reason to worry the new infection could prove a major setback.
It was the region’s only current case after a five-day stint with no COVID-19 activity.
The patient is known to have been in contact with a positive case from overseas, but is no longer considered infectious.
The Cairns Hospital and Hinterland Health Service explained the case was classed as “active” because the person had not fully recovered – even if the contagious period had lapsed.
Ms Palaszczuk did not seem particularly worried about the new diagnosis, which brought the state’s total to 1051 cases.
“We’re just keeping an eye on that one,” she said.
“That person is in Cairns, but it’s only a late positive – so we’re not too concerned about that one.”
Woolshed and Cotton Club owner Dominic Davies told the Cairns Post tourism operators across the region were becoming increasingly angry at the possibility of Queensland’s borders remaining shut until September.
He said a north Queensland bubble was urgently needed – but businesses could not hold out indefinitely for interstate borders to reopen.
“There’s talk in the tourism industry of holding a peaceful rally because everyone is just so frustrated that the message is not getting through,” he said.
“These are people who really aren’t political but they realise they need to band together and articulate their message. I haven’t encountered such frustration on any issue prior to this.”
Leichhardt MP Warren Entsch said the tourism industry could not hold out much longer.
“Many of our traders will lose the whole season,” he said.