Queensland police says it is ready to close the border with New South Wales if there is a COVID outbreak in the Northern Rivers.
One new case of COVID was confirmed in northern NSW yesterday.
NSW health authorities believe the person has been infectious in the Byron, Ballina and Tweed areas between 18 and 20 September.
Gold Coast Acting Chief Superintendent Rhys Wildman says police are ready to respond.
"Doctor Jeanette Young will no doubt be assessing the situation and any of these cases that head into the Northern Rivers of NSW are obviously far too close to home.
"Any cases like this are worrying."
Acting Chief Superintendent Wildman says any changes to the X-Pass, which allows essential workers and students to cross the border, will generally be acted upon between 12 and 24 hours after an announcement by the Queensland Government.
"We have a short timeframe to effect any operational change, but we're very adept at doing this," he said.
The Northern NSW Local Health District has notified of a number of venues of concern including the Kingscliff Beach Hotel where the infected person visited on Sunday between 4:00pm and 9:00pm.
NSW Cross-Border Commissioner James McTavish said a COVID-positive person who travelled as an essential worker from Sydney to Ballina may have breached the rules.
"When people do travel from any of those areas that are subject to lockdown conditions they bring those conditions with them," he said.
Nervous wait
Mr McTavish said the next few days would give authorities a clearer indication.
"We are waiting for further advice around what is actually going to happen," he said.
"We are very keen to see what the Queensland government will decide.
"This person has come up, brought the virus with them, and we're unaware as to whether they've passed it onto anybody else."
