‘It doesn’t even feel real’: High emotions as QLD border wall comes down
Scenes of high emotion have unfolded at airports and border checkpoints this morning as Queensland’s borders open to Covid hotspots for the first time in 141 days.
QLD Coronavirus News
Don't miss out on the headlines from QLD Coronavirus News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Thousands of travellers have flooded into Queensland as the state’s border opens to southern states for the first time in 141 days.
Motorists crossing via Gold Coast checkpoints were facing delays of up to 45 minutes at 1am Monday, but they had reduced to 15 minutes by 5am.
Police have been waving cars over the border, stopping vehicles at random.
They have also been conducting random checks for proof of vaccinations, negative Covid-19 tests and declarations as domestic arrivals collected their bags at Brisbane Airport.
There was little police presence felt at the arrival gates as travellers from Sydney and Melbourne poured off their planes and through the terminal.
But Kylie Armstrong said her daughter Meg, who arrived from Melbourne, was pulled up once they got to the baggage carousel.
Groups of police officers were stationed at popular baggage carousels to check those walking out of the airport doors.
The first flight to Queensland since the border reopened – Jetstar flight JQ400 – took off from Sydney about 5.30am and arrived on the Gold Coast just before 7am, where there were emotional scenes as families were reunited, with one women embracing her daughter and grandson after six months of separation.
“It’s indescribable, it’s the best feeling – it doesn’t even feel real,” Luke Donnelly said as he embraced his friend Sophie Forkgen.
About 20 flights from Covid hotspots are expected to touchdown at Brisbane Airport across today.
The first flight to arrive in Brisbane – QF504 from Sydney – landed about 7.20am, with children embracing parents and couples weeping as the passengers entered the terminal.
Lincoln Mathews was shaking as he swept his wife Maxine into a hug for the first time since March.
Tears fell as they described how they would spend the next week catching up on nine months of milestones that their three children reached while Mr Mathews was working in Sydney.
“It feels amazing,” Ms Mathews said.
“It’s so nice to have him home with the kids.
“We got so close once, he was even in quarantine, but then he got pulled back to work.”
Mr Mathews was shaking with happiness as he wrapped his arm around his wife and headed out of the airport.
Virgin Flight VA909 from Sydney landed moments later while Melbourne flight QF604 is due to land at 8.30am.
It was the first time Kath Underhill had seen her son Tom and daughter-in-law Rebecca since their September wedding.
Ms Underhill wasn’t able to attend the wedding in Greece but said “wedding 2.0” would be in January 2022.
“It’s just great to have them back on Australian soil after five years in England,” she said.
“This morning was so special – it’s definitely the most exciting day since my baby Tom was born.”
It was also the first time Tom and Rebecca met their goddaughter Persephone.
“Words can’t describe what’s it’s like to see her in real life – I would always first time her but I just have so much love for this little human,” Mr Underhill said
BORDER CHECK POINTS: Police are asking motorists crossing the Queensland border to have their passes ready to present to officers, to prevent additional traffic delays. #qldtrafficpic.twitter.com/0axjGGzFmY
— Queensland Police (@QldPolice) December 12, 2021
Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll on Sunday said completing the new border declaration was simple and could be done on the flight, and shown to police on a device.
At road checkpoints, earlier there were reports some motorists had to wait up to an hour to pass through checkpoints on the Gold Coast. However, delays were now minimal.
A number of vehicles were waiting at the border at 1am to be the first to cross into Queensland.
Police have reported the border pass system, which went live overnight, was working well, but have appealed for motorists to have their passes ready to present to officers to prevent additional delays.
The police operation is the biggest since the Commonwealth Games and the G20 summit – which was attended by US president Barack Obama – with 500 officers tasked to check people arriving by air and road.
About 16,000 vaccinated travellers have so far applied to come into Queensland and delays at the border are expected to go up to about an hour during peak times later today, according to Commissioner Carroll.
Ms Carroll said delays were only about 30 minutes at the moment at the main border point at Coolangatta, but she did “expect that it will pick up”.
“(It’s) going well, but yes we do expect there will be a point where we will go up to about an hour delay,” she said.
Ms Carroll said a small number of people had been turned away because they did not have a pass.
“There is certain criteria to get into the state. Those people have been turned away,” she said.
She urged people to ensure they have the correct paperwork.
Ms Carroll said it was better if the pass could be displayed on the car, but police officers could look at the pass on a mobile phone on the way through.
Acting Chief Superintendent Rhys Wildman said after two months of planning, the fact that delays were minimal was “really encouraging”.
“Obviously it’s early and we haven’t hit the main peak, but our officers are working through any issues as they arise,” he said.
Supt Wildman said a number of drivers had attempted to pass with the incorrect pass and were turned around at the border. He said people were turning up with a “G” general pass rather than a pass that proved their vaccination status.
“Members of the public aren’t taking the time reading and filling out the data,” he said.
However, Supt Wildman said compliance overall had been “excellent” and there were less than 10 vehicles refused entry in the first few hours of the border reopening.
“It’s early days and peak hour is going to be the challenging time for us,” he said.
Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said up to 60,000 vehicles could cross into Queensland today.
Meanwhile Brisbane and Gold Coast airports are bracing for a major surge in flight arrivals.
Domestic passenger numbers through Brisbane Airport were set to jump from 17,000-18,000 a day to up to 30,000 a day this week and increase further in the lead-up to Christmas.
Qantas and Virgin flights from Sydney and Melbourne were set to skyrocket from one or two services a day to 30 by the end of this week, while Rex Airlines is launching new services from the southern capitals and Jetstar will introduce flights to Canberra.
“We are still a way off pre-Covid normal, which during the busy December period would normally be at 50,000 passengers per day,” a Brisbane Airport Corporation spokeswoman said.
“More significant regrowth is being hampered by the PCR test requirements that will continue to suppress demand for many traveller categories.”
However, Gold Coast Airport passengers numbers were predicted to reach pre-Covid levels this Friday.
Join the conversation
‘The biggest public health threat of our times’
Experts say instances of self harm linked to social media use are at virus epidemic levels, labelling it “the biggest public health threat of our times”.
Read more
Vaccination rates a sad casualty of Covid
The chaotic years of Covid are receding rapidly, but the latest legacy is the rise of ‘vaccine fatigue’ and it’s putting our children at risk, writes the Editor.
Read more