Unlock us NOW: Australian city that hasn’t recorded a single coronavirus case in nearly two weeks demands tough restrictions be lifted
- Townsville, North Queensland hasn’t recorded a case of coronavirus in 12 days
- Politicians and medics are now urging the government to ease restrictions
- They suggest North Queensland is cut off from the rest of Queensland
- MP Bob Katter said all cases in region were brought in from other areas
- Learn more about how to help people impacted by COVID
Townsville hasn’t recorded a single case of coronavirus in 12 days – prompting calls to separate the city from southeast Queensland to prevent the disease spreading and to allow lockdown conditions to be eased locally, salvaging the local economy.
Long-standing MP Bob Katter and federal MP for Herbert, Phillip Thompson, have led the charge in demanding Townsville and the rest of North Queensland be isolated from the rest of the state.
The politicians suggested implementing a barrier just south of Rockhampton, and having police stationed there to ensure nobody can cross between the regions.
With North Queensland’s relatively low infection rate, they – along with hundreds of local medical professionals and businesses – believe the region will be safer from coronavirus if a border of sorts were introduced.
Katter’s Australian Party have posted signs in Townsville urging the government to shut down North Queensland
Pictured: People waiting for takeaway food in the community wearing face masks to slow the spread of coronavirus
Mr Katter recently told Daily Mail Australia the area would be easy to isolate, and would save the lives of one million vulnerable people.
‘We are an island, a demographic island surrounded by 320km of nothingness,’ he said, adding that some might call it a ‘wasteland’.
The 74-year-old said the physical isolation of the region made it far easier to cut off than other cities.
‘There are just six highways in and out of North Queensland. All we have to do is put on a hard hat, grab a stop sign and that’s it, we’re protected,’ Mr Katter said.
On Monday, Queensland didn’t record a single case of COVID-19 in the entire state, and statistics show the rate of infection was dropping across the nation as a whole.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison previously said if the downward trend continued, he would be willing to begin lifting restrictions by mid-June – but Townsville wants action earlier.
Mr Thompson said Townsville should be able to ease restrictions almost immediately, given they already meet three of the four criteria to do so, the Townsville Bulletin reported.
So far, the region has been successful in contact tracing, and are certain they have the means to identify and respond to an outbreak.
A banner reading ‘Premier, isolate North Queensland now!’ was flown through Brisbane – organised by Bob Katter
Mr Thompson suggested the government lock down North Queensland immediately, to give the region an opportunity to ‘get back to some normality’ and avoid the worst of the virus.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has not entertained the prospect.
But Mr Katter said without it, about five per cent of Australia’s population were being put at unnecessary risk.
‘We will get it here if the border isn’t closed off… It will be an act of monumental arrogance from the Queensland government,’ he told Daily Mail Australia.
‘The only cases we’ve had up here so far have either come from southeast Queensland or overseas. So whose fault is that? Who didn’t close the borders?’