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Bush communities will be cordoned off to protect residents

Remote communities in Queensland may be cordoned off to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Mar 18, 2020, updated Mar 18, 2020
In Townsville, police and the army have worked together to protect the community, including during the 2019 floods. Source: ADF

In Townsville, police and the army have worked together to protect the community, including during the 2019 floods. Source: ADF

Police are already monitoring thousands of people in home quarantine, however the need to further restrict social gatherings and encourage isolation may require a greater show of force.

After a national Cabinet meeting last night, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk told parliament today “the world, our country and our state are changing”.

International travel restrictions are already being tightened. While domestic air travel, and public transport, is still allowed, authorities may declare some places off-limits and take steps to distance people.

“Parts of the country, such as vulnerable Indigenous communities, should be avoided to limit the spread of the virus,” Palaszczuk told parliament.

“If coronavirus gets a foothold in any of our Indigenous communities, the consequences will be dire.”

Queensland has had 94 confirmed cases of COVID-19, most originating overseas. There has been some community transmission on the Gold Coast.

Some Indigenous communities, in particular, lack the health resources and household hygiene to contain any outbreak, and residents are at greater risk of the worst of the disease. In recent years, the spread of syphilis required a multi-government response, and Aboriginal Australians still have poorer health outcomes and life expectancy than other Australians.

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In the Torres Strait – where there has long been the potential for drug-resistant tuberculosis and HIV to spread from Papua New Guinea – border crossings for traditional purposes have already been suspended. PNG has restricted all inbound overseas flights except those from Brisbane, Cairns and Singapore.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison raised similar concerns for remote indigenous communities, and said he expected north Queensland MPs to even stay away from parliament in Canberra.

Police in Townsville are expected to be more active tonight, albeit focusing on vehicle-related offences, after being forced to suspend most roadside drug and alcohol testing as a precaution.

The Australian Defence Force has a major base in Townsville and is seeking to keep its personnel healthy, while at the same time offering support to the Federal Government in its COVID-19 response.

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