Queensland residents draws to the attention of the House to the widespread impact of COVID-19 that is quickly engulfing Australia and Queensland. So far the majority of the cases in our State are confined to South-East Queensland but there is an urgent need to close down Queensland’s borders to non-essential intrastate travel and quarantine regional, rural and remote Queensland from the south-east until further notice. This would ensure a slower spread of the virus and improve the response capabilities of our local hospitals and health services and protect our State’s most medically isolated and vulnerable.

Your petitioners, therefore, request the House to ask the Government to quarantine the areas generally known as North Queensland and Far Western Queensland, with the exception of essential services only.