Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk this morning reiterated that the border controls were reviewed at the end of every month and change was unlikely any time soon.

“I would say that things would look more positive towards September,” Palaszczuk told the ABC.

“Having said that, I don’t want to rule anything out.”

While she put health interests before the economy, Palaszczuk said she had “fingers crossed” southerners would be able to travel north again by the end of the year.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, who along with Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been pushing for domestic border restrictions to be lifted, again criticised Queensland’s stance.

“I think closing borders doesn’t help Australia, it doesn’t help any of the states, it doesn’t help the population, it doesn’t help economic activity,” Berejiklian said.

Queensland’s Chief Health Officer, Jeannette Young, said she couldn’t predict when interstate travel might resume but believed the Premier was correct in speculating about September.

“We need to look at this very carefully and our Premier has been extremely cautious, she has taken every single bit of advice that I have provided to her,” Young said.

Morrison last week called for domestic tourism to resume in time for the July school holidays, and suggested tourism officials do everything possible to make it happen.

Young said lifting the border restrictions in July was possible but “highly unlikely” given the continued spread of coronavirus interstate. Everything hinged on the number of new cases being reported interstate but “maybe NSW and Victoria could get all their problems sorted,” she said.

Queensland has already declared 13 “hotspots” in NSW and three in Victoria and will maintain the restrictions until there is evidence those outbreaks are under control.

Deputy Premier and Health Minister Steven Miles said the government would continue to act in the best interests of Queenslanders.

“I don’t answer to the NSW government, I and this government answer to the Queensland people,” Miles said.

Southerners, he said, might “have to wait a bit longer before they visit our beautiful beaches”. Queensland has a roadmap that will allow Queenslanders to travel more widely, and eventually holiday, within the state by the middle of July.

Morrison on Friday said the economy would receive a boost “as our domestic tourism industry gets back on its feet, which will be an important employer, particularly in regional areas”. International travel will remain restricted for months, and there is a push for interstate tourism to be facilitated before any trans-Tasman tourism with New Zealand.

To date, Queensland police have intercepted 188,661 vehicles at state borders, directing 8,433 people into quarantine and turning around 2,419 vehicles. At airports, almost 30,000 passengers have been monitored, with 4,884 directed to quarantine and 84 refused entry to Queensland.