Reinforcements have been sent to back up NSW police dealing with escalating tensions on the Queensland-NSW border.
This came as about 500 people gathered on Sunday, waving signs reading “open the border now” and “I was born free”.
NSW Police said protesters had crossed the border between Queensland at Coolangatta and NSW at Tweed Heads, with eight people arrested and 54 fined for breaching public health orders.
NSW Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott said the protesters’ actions had posed “a significant risk to the community”.
Further inquiries are under way to identify those who attended the protest.
Queensland police joined forces with NSW officers dealing with the protest.
Tweed residents, on the NSW side, have been hit hard by Queensland’s decision to ban entry to all but a strictly limited list of vaccinated essential workers.
It had asked NSW to notionally move the border south, to the Tweed River, but NSW refused, saying it would just shift the problem further south.
Adding to the crisis was a warning that Queensland won’t necessarily open up to NSW even after the southern state vaccinates 80 per cent of its population.
Earlier, authorities revealed Queensland had recorded another day of zero cases, while NSW reported 830 new local infections and three deaths.
Deputy Premier Steven Miles was pressed about whether Queensland might keep its border closed to NSW if cases there remained high after nationally agreed vaccination targets were met.
“We may,” he replied. “It will depend on the situation here and the situation in NSW.”
Those living in Sydney’s coronavirus hotspots are waking up to their first day under a curfew and all of NSW must now wear masks outside their homes, as tougher lockdown measures take effect.
Following two consecutive days of COVID-19 case numbers over 800, a raft of new public health rules began at 12.01am on Monday.
The harsher measures include a 9pm-to-5am curfew for those who live in a dozen Sydney local government areas of concern, and statewide mandatory mask-wearing when outdoors, except if exercising.
Hardware stores such as Bunnings, office supply stores and other retail premises must close in those 12 LGAs except for click-and-collect transactions, and all exams and education activities will move online, except the HSC.
All of NSW is currently in lockdown and police have ramped up enforcement of restrictions as authorities battle to contain the spread of the Delta strain.
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Queensland is ramping up efforts to improve contact tracing. From August 30, all taxi, limousine and ride-share operators will be forced to start using QR codes.
The move will enable quick tracing of passengers if there’s an outbreak in a public-use vehicle, which happened recently in Cairns when an infected taxi driver was on the job for days.
He did not infect anyone but Mr Miles said it was essential to have a better system to deal with issues like that in the future.
The Taxi Council of Queensland has welcomed the move, saying the industry asked for the change weeks ago. It says drivers will assist passengers who don’t have smartphones.
Queensland now has 39 active virus cases, with 18 in hospital, with work continuing to improve access to vaccinations along the border with NSW.
