HOT SPOT BLOCK HASTE
‘Vic no better, not waiting on NSW to get worse’
PREMIER Annastacia Palaszczuk says her abrupt blocking of Queensland to NSW and ACT is the “right thing to do” as police tip big queues into Tweed-Coolangatta checkpoints before it kicks in.
“Victoria is not getting better and we are not going to wait for NSW to get worse,” she said, revealing her Chief Medical Officer had declared NSW and ACT hot spots – and the Queensland border would close to the two states as of 1am on Saturday.
Police plan to check every car from Saturday, tipping major delays. A “border communities” pass system will be for residents with proof of address and ID.
THE NEW RULES
WHAT: Border closes to NSW and ACT.
WHEN: 1am, Saturday, August 8.
WHO: All visitors will be denied entry apart from rare exemptions. Returning Queenslanders will have to pay for 14 days’ mandatory hotel quarantine. Mandatory hotel quarantine can cost up to $2800.
EXEMPTIONS:
Residents of border communities and essential workers will be able to cross. Essential workers include Defence, police, health and emergency services, transport freight workers, air and maritime crew and freight workers. Those who depart Queensland to a hotspot for personal reasons will be required to quarantine. Other exemptions, including for compassionate reasons, will be limited.
BORDER COMMUNITIES: Border community passes will be for those with proof of address and photo ID.
TRAVEL TO THE STATE FROM NON-HOTSPOTS: Anyone travelling from states or territories not declared COVID-19 hotspots must complete a border declaration.
PREMIER Annastacia Palaszczuk says blocking Queensland to NSW and ACT is the “right thing to do” as police tip big queues into Tweed-Coolangatta checkpoints before it kicks in.
“Victoria is not getting better and we are not going to wait for NSW to get worse,” she said on Wednesday in revealing Chief Medical Officer Dr Jeannette Young had declared NSW and ACT hot spots – and the Queensland border would close to the two states as of 1am on Saturday.
“This is the right thing to do.
It’s going to be tough on Queenslanders but your health comes first,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“We have seen what’s happening in Victoria and we don’t want to see that here. Businesses have said to me they don’t want to go backwards, they want to stay where they are. I’ve said we will not hesitate.
“These continuous breaches by Queenslanders going to Victoria, by Victorians coming up through the NSW border into Queensland is putting our Queensland at risk.”
She added ACT was included after “someone went through Canberra into Queensland”.
From 1am on Saturday every car entering Queensland will be checked. Heavy traffic flows at checkpoints is expected from now onwards, as returning Queenslanders try to beat forced, self-funded, hotel quarantines kicking in.
Only residents of border communities such as Coolangatta and the Tweed Shire and truck drivers will be able to cross. Exemptions – including for compassionate reasons – will be limited. Border community resident passes will be for those with proof of address and photo ID.
It’s also understood the five checkpoints on the M1, Griffith and Miles streets, Gold Coast Hwy and Numinbah crossing, will stay open with a heavy presence to ensure rules are being adhered to. The openings will be continuously assessed to make sure it is sustainable.
Queenslanders returning to the state after that 1am deadline will be forced into selffunded hotel quarantine. Each person forced into quarantine at the borders will be given a police direction to go to the Voco Hotel in Surfers Paradise. Officers at the border communicate with those at the hotel and if the person pushed into quarantine doesn’t show up, they will be tracked down by police and taken to the hotel. Freight into the state will continue.
Gold Coast Chief Superintendent Mark Wheeler said he had been preparing for the new closures and would scrutinise every car into Queensland. “This will undoubtably cause delays, so if you do not need to travel, don’t,” he said.
“If you are coming from NSW, simply for a holiday, you will be turned around and people will need to plan accordingly.
“We would anticipate from now until Friday there will be increased traffic, because there will be Queenslanders who are in NSW being urged to return home as soon as possible.”
Queensland had 11 active coronavirus cases and Gold Coast had two as of Wednesday. NSW added 12 new cases and Victoria added more than 700 to its soaring tally.