Stranded Queenslanders warned come home correctly or pay price

Returning Queenslanders have been warned they will be blocked from home quarantine, fined and potentially sent back interstate, if they do not tick all the boxes when borders reopen.

Returning Queenslanders have been warned they will be blocked from home quarantine, fined and potentially sent back interstate, if they turn up unvaccinated, untested or lie when borders reopen.

Around 14,000 people who have been stranded in Victoria and NSW for more than 11 weeks have been told they’ll need to wait an extra 24 hours after Queensland’s highly-anticipated 70 per cent double-dose goal is reached before boarding flights.

And those who rush back without ticking all the boxes won’t be tolerated, Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said.

Health Minister Yvette D'Ath at Bray Park State High School for a Covid update. Picture: Richard Walker

“I’ll be very clear to people, if they think that they can rort the system, if you think that you can get a border pass and get on a plane and get off the other end and not be caught if you haven’t done your vaccinations, if you haven’t got that negative test, you will be found out,” she said.

Authorities would crosscheck paperwork with the national immunisation database and pick up any fake vaccine certificates, she said.

“If at any point we find that someone has not validly applied and provided false information, there will be fines attached to that,” she said, referencing $1370 fines for false declarations or breaching public health directions regarding vaccinations.

Anyone who wasn’t vaccinated would either be sent back or sent to hotel quarantine, she said.

Queensland was at 69.30 per cent double-doses on Saturday, with the 70 per cent goal expected Sunday or Monday.

People flying into Queensland must have received their second vaccine at least two weeks previously, had a negative test before boarding and have a flight booked before applying for an automatic border pass.

They must home quarantine in a residence with no common areas, although people can stay with others who will also need to remain home for two weeks, or in hotel quarantine.

Arrivals won’t be able to catch public transport, taxis or Ubers on arrival but family or friends could drive cars to the airport and leave keys on bonnets while waving from a distance, Ms D’Ath said.

People line up for their Covid vaccinations at Bray Park State High School on Saturday. Picture: Richard Walker

Meanwhile, Ms D’Ath defended the government’s decision to require quarantine for international arrivals until 90 per cent double-vaccinations, even though Doherty modelling says quarantine could be dropped entirely at the 80 per cent rate.

She said there was also concerns around the testing of international arrivals, pointing out there had been 420 people arrive in Queensland who tested negative before boarding their flight, but positive on arrival.

“Those tests aren’t always at the same level of accuracy as what we have here in Australia and so there is an increased risk of people arriving internationally and going straight out in the community and spreading the virus,” she said.

Queensland recorded no new cases on Saturday but authorities said they were still concerned with two unlinked, mystery cases on the Gold Coast.