Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says she is “overjoyed” that the State has for the first day since Monday 9 March recorded no new cases of COVID-19.
Speaking to media earlier today, Monday 20 April, the Premier hinted that “some” community restrictions may be eased in the “coming weeks” but was not specific.
Her comments come as families across Queensland experienced difficulties logging on to online schooling support for children learning from home, with the Premier saying “teething troubles” were to be expected.
“Some restrictions may possibly be eased if encouraging results continue, with no new daily cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Queensland for the first time since early March,” Ms Palaszczuk said today.
“In Queensland there remain 275 active cases, with 738 recoveries and six deaths for a total of 1019.
“I thank Queenslanders for an enormous effort.
“If we can keep this up over the coming weeks, I’m sure that will mean we’ll be able to make some changes and ease some of those restrictions on the population.
“We’ll still be having people coming back from overseas and we’ve still got people in quarantine and unfortunately we have had some cases of people coming from interstate.
“But from our large population to have zero cases (today) is well done.”
Also today the Premier reiterated her government’s determination to keep Virgin Airlines in business and based in Queensland, although an announcement about the airline going into voluntary administration was expected.
“Queensland wants to keep Virgin’s headquarters here in Queensland and the thousands of jobs that it supports,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
The Premier also said while she was willing to consider any NRL plan for the Rugby League season to restart, there had been no official approach to the government from the NRL.
“Of course we’re open to look at any plan (but) there has been no plan submitted, there have been no phone calls,” she said.
“But in relation to the State of Origin, yes, of course I have spoken to the QRL and as I said from day one, towards the end of the year we would be open to that if the health advice said that we were in the situation to do so.”
