‘Relative normal’ still a year away as Queensland records five new coronavirus cases

Five more people who arrived in Queensland from Papua New Guinea have tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday as the Deputy Premier warned life would not return to “normal” until next year.

Steven Miles said all five new cases were detected in hotel quarantine and underlined “just how real that concern and risk is about the situation in PNG”.

“There are islands in the Torres Strait where you can see PNG from their beaches and where it is very common for people to travel for traditional trade purposes between PNG and Torres Strait Islands,” Mr Miles said.

“So it is incredibly important that we get as many of those folk who we know are vulnerable,…