Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has defended the state's COVID-19 exemption process after a Cairns man said his mother died overnight while he was stuck in NSW hotel quarantine.

Anthony McCormick raced home from Canada after learning his mother was diagnosed with cancer, he told the Today show.

He was quickly granted a quarantine exception from NSW Health but was waiting on an exemption request from Queensland Health.

READ MORE: Queensland hospital staff in isolation after saving COVID-19 patient's life

Ms Palaszczuk said Mr McCormick's exemption request was still with New South Wales Health.

"Our hearts go out to him, to lose someone so close, it's just awful," Ms Palaszczuk said.

"We all lose relatives, it's not nice."

The premier defended the state's exemption department and said she has asked for additional staff to assist with the "hundreds" of exemption requests.

"These are very tragic situations … there's hundreds of exemptions that people are applying for, and we're trying to process them as quickly as possible," Ms Palaszczuk said.

"They're trying their best; they're humans; they're trying their very best."

Queensland Chief Health Officer Jeanette Young said Mr McCormick had only arrived back in Australia on Tuesday.

"He only arrived in Sydney on the 6th of July, and we've been working with the New South Wales authorities to look at what could be done to assist him," Dr Young said.

Mr McCormick claims he was quickly granted a quarantine exception from NSW Health, but Queensland Health denied him entry into the state at the last minute.

"She was very upset that I couldn't get in there and see her. That was really what she was hanging on for." Mr McCormick said.

"NSW Health were amazing. They had proactively called me before I even got on my flight, had the exemption plan all laid out and while I was on the flight, they actually executed it,"

"Queensland Health, on the other hand, were silent … I didn't receive a single phone call."

Mobile road cameras than can see directly into a person's car will be rolled out in secret locations across Queensland.

Authorities said the cameras would particularly target people using their phones while driving.

"Driving distracted with your mobile phone is the drink driving of this era," Transport Minister Mark Bailey told 9News.

READ MORE: Sydney CBD parking more expensive for fewer spots

The cameras were trialled across the state for five months last year.

During the trial, more than 15,000 were busted on their phones behind the wheel, copping a $1000 fine and losing four demerit points apiece.

A further 2000 were seen not wearing a seatbelt, which incurs a $413 fine.

The cameras will be rolled out from July 26, though police are not revealing how many, or their locations.

Due to their structure, the cameras can even spot a mobile phone resting on somebody's lap, with police saying if it is touching somebody's body, it will incur a penalty.

READ MORE: Queensland teen arrested after luxury cars allegedly stolen from mansion

However, drivers will have some time to get used to the new set-up.

Fines won't be issued until November 1, although even with the lead-in time, it is estimated they will bring in millions of dollars in state revenue.

Authorities said all the money would go back into road safety.

A south-west Sydney mayor has urged people not to blame the area for the COVID-19 outbreak as it emerges as the new epicentre of the viral surge that started in Bondi Junction.

NSW Police will deploy more than 100 additional officers across south-west Sydney to enforce standing public health orders, it was announced today.

From 7am tomorrow extra cops will be patrolling the suburbs which are now at the epicentre of NSW's latest outbreak.

"We've heard very clearly and loudly the words of our Premier and Dr Chant in terms of the areas of a major concern is south-western Sydney," Deputy Commissioner Mal Lanyon Metropolitan Field Operations said today.

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"As a result of those concerns, come 7am tomorrow morning, we will come as a dedicated police operation with at least 100 more police officers entering the Southwest metropolitan area to ensure compliance with the public health order," Mr Lanyon said.

"The virus has shown very clearly that it does not discriminate."

Assistant Commissioner Tony Cooke said officers will be patrolling shopping centres and other hubs to ensure people are only leaving the house for "essential" reasons.

"The question will be…what's your reasonable excuse for being here? You don't need that pair of shoes today," he said.

"The problem we have is people are going out when we don't need to, they are coming back and infecting their family.

"That is what we have said, that is what the health advice is."

However, Fairfield Mayor Frank Carbone said it wasn't the fault of residents.

"Don't put this on south-west Sydney, I'm not going to cop this," he told 9News.

"It's not our fault the virus is here. It's the fact that it keeps on leaking from hotel quarantine, and that's where people are frustrated."

A high number of household contacts of COVID-19 cases in NSW are also being infected, driving up case numbers as the state battles the Delta variant.

Yesterday, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian urged people in three specific council areas to stay home.

Today she doubled down, saying if providing care and visiting loved ones, only one person should be going, not the whole family.

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Most workplaces require employees to swipe an identity pass or fob for access.

Soon office or worksite access could also require coronavirus screening – via a sensor-filled fob that is scanned or swiped on entry.

Nanotechnology experts from RMIT University have collaborated with Melbourne company Soterius to develop a wearable COVID-19 detection disc.

READ MORE: NSW must continue lockdown until virus is 'eliminated', AMA president says

RMIT project leader Professor Sharath Sriram says sensors slimmer than a human hair are embedded in the disc.

"It picks up viral particles from our breath, and so it can be a very early screening tool," Professor Sriram told 9News.

"Typically within 10 seconds you can get a reading."

Similar to a traditional security fob, users will swipe the coin-sized device over a reader as they enter or exit an area.

Then nano-sized "biosensors" inside the tiny disc will detect if or if not COVID-19 viral particles are present.

READ MORE: Victorians told 'don't travel to NSW' as hard border not ruled out

"The sensor is a bit like a Lego block game," Professor Sriram said.

"When a virus actually attaches to our cells it actually looks for the matching piece, so we mimic the same process within the sensor."

If after swiping the reader illuminates green it means that person is coronavirus clear and goes about their workday as normal.

But red indicates detection of potential infection, and the individual will be sent for further PCR swab testing and quarantine.

Soterius CEO Dr Alasdair Wood says the technology can detect asymptomatic infection.

"Another instance might be that you tap that in reception and the receptionist may say 'nope we have detected the virus, please go and get yourself tested and make sure you are wearing your mask on the way home'," Dr Wood told 9News.

READ MORE: 'You don't need that pair of shoes': More than 100 extra police to patrol south-west Sydney

The aim is is to initially roll the Australia-made technology out in hospitals or open-plan offices.

Professor Sriram says the technology means potential COVID-19 carriers are identified much quicker – reducing spread and potentially slowing or stopping outbreaks.

"You can do more instantaneous contact tracing rather than do it seven days down the track."

READ MORE: Prime Minister announces support for NSW amid latest outbreak

While the technology works, RMIT and Soterius are still in the process of getting regulatory approval before rolling it out commercially.

These sensors can also be re-programmed to pick up other coronavirus variants or other viruses like the flu.

So even when we get on top of this pandemic, the technology will remain a useful tool for screening sickness out of the workplace.

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