NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has taken aim at her Queensland counterparts over the state’s hard line approach to border management, saying the short-sighted approach is seriously risking the future of tourism.
Speaking today at the official opening of Crowne Plaza Sydney Darling Harbour, the Premier said that apart from Victoria, it was implausible for states to be playing politics and setting unattainable standards for other states to meet.
“I think it’s ridiculous that we’re held to a standard of having 28 days of no community transmission. We’re in a pandemic. That’s not going to happen,” the Premier said.
“But what will happen is when we do have cases, that we get on top of them, we control them and we make sure that we keep the economy open.”
NSW has chalked up 13 consecutive days without any community transmission of COVID-19 and three cases being investigated in the city’s west have raised concerns north of the border that the target of 28 consecutive days could be reset – further delaying a real resumption of tourism in the Sunshine State.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian has praised the NSW tourism sector for showing the flexibility needed to adapt to the demands of the virus while still managing to operate safely, keep the economy open and keeping the people of Sydney in jobs.
“I look forward to better times for the industry in the months and years ahead,” she added.