Trumpeting a donut day (no new coronavirus cases) might sound good on the evening news in the short-term, but it’s a refrain that is unlikely to work for Annastacia Palaszczuk for much longer.

“It’s a donut day, with no new locally-acquired cases!’’

“It’s a double-donut day, with no internationally-acquired cases either!’’

We’ve become used to that now in Queensland, whether it is by good luck or good management.

But on every expert health analysis, donut days will soon be off the menu – and that leaves a big gaping hole in the State Government’s COVID strategy.

This pandemic is tricky, and it will sneak or jump or storm over the border. Epidemiology predictions revealed on this page yesterday show that even with 70 percent of the nation’s population vaccines, millions will remain exposed.

Millions.

So what is the State Government’s plan here? To claim the data is wrong, and keep its fingers crossed?

To shut our border to family and friends, with two hours’ notice, like it did yesterday? (Or was that move aimed more at making its announcement of a new Toowoomba-based quarantine facility a bigger deal, a day later?)

To continue to blame NSW and the Commonwealth and other jurisdictions where this pandemic is destroying more lives that it is here?

The diet of donut days, like all good things, will end. No-one is disputing that.

And Annastacia Palaszczuk’s haughty them-and-us attitude will need to be replaced with a concrete, data-based plan very quickly.

Boasting our small infection numbers, compared to others, won’t actually stop the virus at the border. It might even reduce vaccination rates, by providing a false sense of security.

Forcing early lockdowns – which have been successful to date – won’t work on the health analysis going forward, because COVID is set to join us in Queensland, no matter what.

So how will we handle quarantine when COVID is here – when we had to close it off yesterday without a single new case being announced?

How are we going to lift vaccination rates; rates that were hurt by the Chief Health Officer’s early protestations over AstraZenica, and fed by groups of anti-vaxxers, who have made Queensland their home.

The premier needs to change her narrative – where a donut day equals success – very quickly.

Because if she doesn’t, it’s going to look like she’s failing on a grand scale.

We need to turn our attention how Queensland manages when – not ‘if’ – COVID visits more permanently.

How will our hospitals work? Do we have enough beds? What extra protections are being provided to front-line workers?

Because blaming NSW then, just won’t work.

What is the plan for our schools? Given the Government didn’t seem aware that the new Ekka holiday is on a big year 12 external exam day, one could deduce that there is no plan.

What about the mental health of our tweens and teens, where self-harm and suicide rates are escalating?

What about those adults sitting at home crying, now, after being forced to abandon their livelihoods?

What’s our plan to protect our Indigenous and Torres Strait communities?

What about those families whose children are stuck overseas or at boarding schools or in other states?

Is that really fair? Shouldn’t a Queenslander be able to live in Queensland?

Perhaps our strategy is to cut Queensland out of the national map, and become an island? If so, Joh Bjelke-Petersen would be proud.

Or perhaps we don’t even have a strategy beyond shut down, lock up and close the windows. But surely that strategy only works while we have the loudly-trumpeted donut days.

The vaccine roll-out and quarantine provisions are not working now. What will they be like when COVID moves here more permanently?

Commonwealth supply of vaccines might be appalling. But ask anyone who has tried to book on the State system, and you’ll find more holes than a Gold Coast golf course.

People in 1A and 1B categories have not received an invitation to book despite registering at the first opportunity. But others, who fall outside that group, are being given appointments and two shots of Pfizer.

Some people have made multiple appointments, just in case. Others – at aged care homes – continue to wait in line.

Outside Brisbane there’s no rush. They’re enjoying a year of donut days! That’s the diet they plan to live on, forever.

Those flaws we are already seeing in the State’s vaccine and quarantine processes will become disastrous when – not ‘if’ COVID jumps the border.

And voters will find a one trick policy about how many donuts we had will be very hard to stomach.