BULLETIN QUESTIONS TO TOP HEALTH EXPERT
QUEENSLAND chief health officer Jeannette Young (above) has urged the public to remain patient as the state navigates its way out of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Gold Coast Bulletin
asked the state’s top health expert to clarify issues relating to the reopening of the border, easing social restrictions and community sport. BULLETIN QUESTIONS
1. Why are you advising Queensland to move so slowly to lift restriction restrictions when states with worse COVID-19 records are easing restrictions far quicker? For example, from next week NSW will allow 50 people in restaurants and clubs and from June 12 Queensland will allow only 20.
2. What is the health data/projections you are basing this decision on?
3. In regards to intrastate travel, NSW can move freely from June 1. Queenslanders cannot. Why not?
4. In regards to community sport, only one parent will be allowed to watch their children compete. Grandparents will miss out on seeing kids play sport. How do you explain that threshold given families can visit Bunnings or shopping centres alongside potentially hundreds of others?
5. In the original road map out Queensland was working towards July 10 for interstate travel. Last week both you and the Premier said a more “realistic” date was September. Where did that come from?
6. At what point do you, as the state’s top health professional, consider the economic and mental health costs of strict border and social restrictions?
QUEENSLAND HEALTH SPOKESPERSON RESPONSE:
“Our priority will always be keeping Queenslanders safe and healthy.
“There is a road map in place to lift restrictions in stages, however moving through each stage will require all Queenslanders to be patient and comply with directions so we don’t undo the great work achieved to date.
“The Federal Government has released modelling about what the progression of the virus may look like in Australia. That modelling was considered when the road map to easing restrictions was developed.
“It must be remembered that if there is a spike in cases, restrictions may be reinstated. We cannot risk a second wave of infection or uncontrolled community spread of COVID-19.”