Queensland reopens to vaccinated travellers from NSW, Victoria

After almost five months, Queensland’s strict border shut-out to NSW and Victoria has ended, allowing for thousands of reunions.

Joyous scenes have erupted at Queensland’s border crossings and airports as families and friends reunite, but the state’s easing of travel restrictions is nonetheless tinged with anxiety.

Tens of thousands of people are expected to arrive in the Sunshine State over the coming days and weeks after almost five months of border closures during which coronavirus case numbers have been a mere trickle.

Authorities are now bracing for that to change.

The influx that began on Monday morning is expected to erode Queensland’s relatively Covid-free record – with the state not having hit double-digit daily case numbers since early August – even if arrivals from hot spots are fully vaccinated as required.

Reunions at Brisbane Airport on Monday morning. Picture: NCA NewsWire / John Gass

Police at Gold Coast Airport checking border passes of travellers from NSW. Picture Glenn Hampson

Strict border rules – for which Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has been both praised and criticised – have helped limit total Covid case numbers in Queensland to 2168 with just seven deaths since the pandemic began.

Isolated clusters have quickly been snuffed out and mystery cases in the community have failed to replicate the outbreaks in southern states.

Victoria by comparison has had more than 130,000 cases and 1400 deaths during the pandemic, with NSW recording more than 85,000 cases and 600 fatalities.

Deputy chief health officer James Smith on Sunday said Queensland could soon have hundreds of new cases a day, with the state’s health system expected to come under renewed pressure.

“I can’t see (hundreds of cases) being next week but it will be imminent,” Dr Smith said.

“This is why we’ve been saying there is no freedom day, like it is the case that we absolutely need to prepare for cases.”

To gain entry into Queensland, tourists and residents will need to show vaccine proof and a negative Covid test within 72 hours and have an approved online border pass.

Traffic at the Queensland border on the Gold Coast Highway at 5.45am. Picture: Nigel Hallett

Home And Away’s Sophie Dillman gears up for reunion

Actor Sophie Dillman has opened up about the emotional toll of being separated from her family for almost one year due to state border closures.

Like many Australians, the Sydney actor has been separated from her loved ones in Queensland for months but they will finally be reunited this Christmas as the state reopens its borders to NSW and Victoria on Monday.

“It’s almost been a year now, which is really sad,” she said.

“I miss them a lot and it’s been really hard not being able to see them face-to-face. So I’m really looking forward to spending some good quality time with them.

Home And Away star Sophie Dillman will be reunited with her family in Queensland in time for Christmas as borders reopen on Monday. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

Dillman and her co-star Patrick O’Connor (who plays Dean Thompson) have been dating for two years. They will spend Christmas with their families in Queensland. Picture supplied.

The Mazda ambassador said after months of lockdowns and restrictions brought on by the pandemic, that she and her co-star and boyfriend of two years, Patrick O’Connor, are looking forward to ending the year on a high note.

“We both missed our families a lot and the time that we weren’t working was hard as well to fill your day and stay motivated and hopeful but I wouldn’t have been able to do it without him. He’s such a great support and I really love him for it. We definitely got through it a lot better than others, we were very lucky to be in the position we’re in but it wasn’t easy … It tested everyone in so many different ways.”

Dillman, 29, who plays Ziggy Astoni on the Channel 7 soap, and O’Connor, wrap filming for the year next week.

She plans on driving to Brisbane where she will spend Christmas with O’Connor and both of their families.

“I’ll drive my little Mazda up and Paddy will drive his car up and we’ll spend the holidays with our families in Brisbane and probably up at Noosa,” she said.

“We sort of have two Christmases. We have one Christmas with one family on Christmas Day and another Christmas on the other side of the family for Boxing Day which is heaps of fun.”