Defence and police personnel on Griffith Street,Coolangatta,on the Queensland side of the border.

Defence and police personnel on Griffith Street,Coolangatta,on the Queensland side of the border.Credit:Matt Dennien

Such a move was labelled a “very complicated public law problem” by University of Queensland law professor Graeme Orr and was ruled out by NSW authorities.

Mr Gollschewski has been heading discussions with Mr McTavish about a return of some type of travel bubble amid the toughest inbound domestic restrictions to date,and conceded in recent weeks a checkpoint shift was off the table.

Both he and Mr McTavish revealed the complex talks involved an expansion of the list of essential workers currently able to cross the border,which did not include teachers,previously trimmed by Queensland Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young.

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Proof of at least one vaccine dose is also required for those crossing the border. On Thursday,Mr Gollschewski said only about 1000 workers were still making the commute each day.

Dr Young had previously flagged hope the border restrictions would remain in place for no longer than eight weeks,when 70 per cent of Queenslanders were expected to be fully vaccinated,and left the door open to abroader passport-like system for travel from NSW for when restrictions begin to lift.

Parts of regional NSW deemed low risk and which had not reported a COVID-19 case in at least 14 days will emerge from lockdown at 12.01am on Saturday. Restrictions on gathering sizes,business capacity,schools and events,along with some mask wearing,will remain.

Local government areas of Bourke,Brewarrina and Walgett,along the Queensland border,will remain under stay-at-home orders along with large parts of western NSW,Greater Sydney,and much of the east coast south of Port Macquarie.

NSW reported 1405 new COVID-19 cases and five deaths on Thursday. Queensland reportedone local case in a 10-year-old-boy,linked to the Beenleigh cluster now at four cases but largely not a concern to authorities.

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