For the second day this week, Queensland has recorded no new cases of COVID-19, despite having 1,024 recorded cases so far in the pandemic.

“And we are really on the track to be smashing that curve,” Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said today.

The tally remained unchanged even as the number of tests passed 90,000. Another three likely cases were confirmed this week after roughly 100 serology tests, however they have not been added to the official tally. The Government released a local breakdown of cases, for the first time revealing what council areas have been affected.

By local government area, Brisbane has had the most cases with 408, including 19 cases where the source was not known. It was followed by the Gold Coast (189), Moreton Bay (95), and the Sunshine Coast (70), with the most populated areas proving to be most affected. Various council areas in western Queensland appear unaffected, however the data made by skewed by people seeking testing and treatment elsewhere.

A special sitting of parliament, with barely a quorum present, today argued over the composition of committees to scrutinise government decisions and the lack of transparency over decisions. The government took the opportunity to reflect on its response to the crisis that has so far led to six deaths in Queensland and seen thousands lose their jobs.

Queensland Health Minister Steven Miles told members the government had taken the pandemic seriously since day one and avoided potentially thousands of deaths.

“This virus could be our biggest test,” Miles said.

“Make no mistake, here in Queensland our early action planning and preparing for this pandemic has put us in a better position than just about anywhere in the world.”

Later on Wednesday, parliament was due to debate two bills, one for more than $4 billion worth of stimulus and the other covering various temporary measures in response to the crisis.

Deputy Premier and Treasurer Jackie Trad said “Queensland has been hit hard but not as hard as most of the other states”. The government’s early response, she said, had allowed 1400 interest-free loans to be made to businesses and some 11,400 Queensland businesses receiving payroll tax relief.

The Opposition – angry at the diminished parliament – questioned Queensland’s school and border control policies, prompting Trad to suggest that all the LNP offered was “whinging, carping and moaning”.

After the LNP challenged the government over its offer of $200 million to support Virgin, and raised previous conflict of interest concerns involving Trad and another minister, the Premier made clear that State Development Minister Cameron Dick was liaising with her and Virgin on the airline’s fate.

Palaszczuk reiterated she would continue acting, in accordance with National Cabinet deliberations, on health advice and with the best interests of Queenslanders in mind. Every decision, she said, sought to balance out health benefits and economic risks, and if the number of cases remained low “restrictions may be able to be eased in future”.