After premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced last week that Queensland would shut its borders to any visitors from the 'hotspot' of Greater Sydney, the state has taken further steps to limit the spread of the virus within its bounds by closing off its border to visitors from any part of NSW or the ACT, declaring both states in their entirety to be infection hot spots.
In a press conference this morning, Queensland's deputy premier and health minister Steven Miles stated that, "It is clear now that Australia is experiencing a second wave of Covid-19 and we cannot afford to have that second wave here in Queensland." This change to border restrictions comes after a Queensland woman was diagnosed with the virus in the preceding 24 hours. Queensland health authorities are still determining the source of this latest infection.
The border changes take effect from 1am on Saturday, August 8, after which visitors from those states will be banned, and returning Queenslanders will need to pay for two weeks of mandatory hotel quarantine should they choose to return. Exemptions on compassionate grounds will be limited, noted the premier today, after announcing on August 4 that other types of quarantine exemptions, such as diplomatic clearance, would no longer be granted.
NSW has been recording low but consistent levels of community transmission of the virus, with case figures remaining between six and 20 for the months of July and August. While the ACT has not recorded a single case of the virus for 25 days, it remains open to travellers from NSW.