Queensland boots Moree from border bubble as shire councillors call for residents to 'get off the streets' as COVID-19 outbreak grows

Mayor Katrina Humphries said the "dreadful infection rates" had forced council to ask residents to voluntarily stay at home, work from home, close shops and get off the streets.

"We need to take the pressure off our medical teams and try to take the sting out of this awful situation we are in," she said in a letter signed off on by most shire councillors on Thursday evening.

"I call for this voluntary 'get off the streets' to start as quickly as possible tonight for review on Monday."

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There have been no official public health directives for Moree at this stage, other than for close and casual contacts, as the state opens up and learns to live with the virus.

But Cr Humphries said in the message that COVID-19 cases were continuing to balloon and contact tracing had been made hard by some "reckless" people not using QR codes to check in.

"Residents of Moree and surroundings, stay at home unless you need to get tested, need medical help or emergency supplies; or if you are an essential services provider and agricultural and harvest workers," she said.

"The harvest is underway and really needs to continue."

She said the virus was running rampant in the community and Moree needed a chance to beat it, particularly as the vaccination rates in the local government area lag behind at just under 80 per cent double dose.

Queensland doesn't want Moree residents crossing the into the sunshine state either, with the border bubble tightened overnight.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk made the sudden announcement late Thursday that from Friday, November 5, Moree Plains Shire local government area would be declared a restricted border zone hotspot.

Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall confirmed Moree Secondary College had closed for deep cleaning and contact tracing on Friday.

All staff and students have been asked to self isolate while they wait for advice from NSW Health.

Tingha Public School reopened on Friday, according to Mr Marshall.

There were 33 new cases of the virus recorded in Moree yesterday, with more expected today.

Find out where to get tested, where to get vaccinated, and all the exposure sites across the region here.

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