The Queensland government is concerned about falling rates of COVID-19 testing, with the virus still taking a toll worldwide and border restrictions with NSW set to ease.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The state recorded no new virus cases on Tuesday, with just seven active cases in total.
However, just 2506 people were tested for COVID-19, which is half the government's daily target.
Deputy Premier and Health Minister Steven Miles says warmer spring weather may be behind the fall but it's important not to get complacent as low testing rates make it much harder to trace contacts if there's an outbreak.
"It's incredibly important that people continue to get tested because we know that this pandemic, while it appears to be currently under control here in Queensland, is getting worse worldwide," he said.
Dr Miles said with the number of cases worldwide tipping over 35 million and another 4000 deaths being counted in the last reporting period, COVID-19 remained a huge risk to the state.
He said sewage was being tested to try to find unlinked cases of community transmission, while opening testing clinics for extended hours in Cannonvale, North Rockhampton, Cairns and Ipswich.
The deputy premier agreed that falling testing rates could also be because of Queenslanders enjoying school holidays.
"People are moving around people you know it was a beautiful weekend," Dr Miles said.
"So, you know, we just gonna have to keep reminding people that in order to stay open in order to keep easing restrictions, we need to be doing enough testing to make sure we're not missing anything."
Meanwhile, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said if the NSW border reopened on November 1 as planned, it would take a Victoria-style second wave to close it again.
Under the Queensland government's road map, the border will open if the southern state can go for another 17 days without any cases of unlinked community transmission.
Ms Palaszczuk said the only way it would be closed after that was if the virus got out of control in NSW.
"They'd have to be widespread community transmission. We have to take the advice of (chief health officer Jeannette Young) in relation to that. But I think if we were starting to see what happened in Victoria, initially, then that would be a cause for concern," she said.
Queenslanders go to the polls on October 31.
Australian Associated Press
