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No new cases in Queensland, as Premier steps up border defiance

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has expanded Queensland's travel bubble to take in Moree, in northern NSW.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has expanded Queensland's travel bubble to take in Moree, in northern NSW. Photo: AAP

Queensland has recorded no new cases of COVID-19, with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk moving to iron out border issues and calling out relentless criticism of their closure.

Ms Palaszczuk said zero virus cases were recorded in the 24 hours to 9am on Friday, with only 25 active cases in the state.

“Well done Queensland and this is exactly the hard work of everybody that’s getting us to this point,” she said.

“Of course, we know that we’re still not out of the woods yet but I’m so pleased that we have got zero cases today.”

The Premier is taking part in a national cabinet meeting later on Friday, which will discuss a proposed COVID-19 hotspot regime.

However, Ms Palaszczuk warned she wouldn’t commit to any plan and called on her political rivals to focus on eliminating community transmission on Victoria and NSW rather than criticising her about border closures.

“It is relentless, it is intimidating but I will not be intimidated,” she said.

The Premier said she knew she had the support of Queenslanders, who have been sending her positive emails and handwritten cards.

Ms Palaszczuk also pointed out Prime Minister Scott Morrison was being just as hard on the borders as she was.

“There are international borders up,” she said.

“Scott Morrison has put out that that is going to be extended for another three months, so families are not going to be reunited for Christmas and that is going to be very tough on families.”

The state government will add the NSW town of Moree to its border bubble to alleviate pressure on nearby Mungindi, which is already included, to access both healthcare and food.

The town’s only supermarket burnt down earlier this week and residents who left the bubble to travel to nearby Moree to shop would have been cut-off from Mungindi hospital, which is on the Queensland side of the border.

Meanwhile, a new unit to fast-track medical exemptions for NSW residents requiring specialist treatment in Queensland has been launched.

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