QLD border is set to close for some NSW residents
Travellers to QLD will notice an increased police presence at the QLD border, and must be prepared to have their credentials checked, the QLD premier warned.
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Update 11.10am: As the NSW Premier reveals new Covid restrictions for Sydney, it has been revealed a Northern Rivers politician has also been caught up in the latest outbreak.
Ben Franklin was one of four NSW Nationals MPs in isolation awaiting further advice from NSW Health after attending a Covid venue of concern.
Adam Marshall, Trevor Khan, Ben Franklin and Steph Cooke – were in isolation after attending a factional dinner at Christos Five Ways restaurant in Paddington on Monday night.
The NSW Premier has implemented new restrictions on people who live and work in the Sydney area, and has asked for them to be adhered to as soon as possible.
The warning comes as NSW gets set for school holidays, which begin on Friday, and will impact plans for those planning a trip to Sydney.
The restrictions will apply from 4pm today, for one week.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced 13 more cases of Covid confirmed overnight.
She said due to the highly contagious nature of the strain, people who live and work in the seven LGAs listed as hot spots cannot travel outside the Sydney metropolitan area, unless for essential purposes.
Suburbs listed as hot spots include the City of Sydney, Woollahra, Waverly, Bayside, Canada Bay, Inner West, and Randwick.
New regulations include mandatory wearing of masks, restrictions on number of visitors per household, no standing at hospitality venues, and restrictions on distancing.
For full restrictions, go to the NSW Health website.
The Premier said restrictions hoped to “limit the spread of the contagious stream”.
““Please abandon non-essential activities, please don’t attend social gatherings unless you absolutely must,” she said.
Original story: While the QLD border will not close to residents of the Northern Rivers tomorrow, travellers to the region can expect an increased police presence at the border, the QLD Premier said.
Annastacia Palaszczuk said the QLD border will close from 1am on Thursday, June 24, to people who have been in Sydney suburbs where Covid cases have been detected.
Suburbs listed as hot spots include the City of Sydney, Woollahra, Waverly, Bayside, Canada Bay, Inner West, and Randwick.
The Waverly LGA is already declared a hotspot.
Ms Palaszczuk said anyone entering Queensland who has been in any of these areas within the past 14 days must go into hotel quarantine.
Ms Palaszczuk said more suburbs may be added throughout the day if more cases were detected in NSW and travellers should keep updated on the QLD Health website for the latest information.
Non-Queensland residents will need an exemption to enter Queensland. You can apply for a border pass here.
The QLD Health website states: “From 1am Friday, June 25 there will be no declared hot spots in Victoria”.
“Until then, the Local Government Areas that make up Greater Melbourne in Victoria are declared COVID-19 hot spots.
“Anyone who has been to a hotspot in the last 14 days will not be allowed to enter Queensland, except for a limited range of people who can enter for essential purposes.”
Chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young said the decision to close the border came after the Sydney cluster grew to 21 cases and exposure sites increased significantly.
“The risk is so much higher now,” she said.
Ms Palaszczuk said the Delta variant of the virus was causing grave concerns across the world because it spread rapidly.
The Premier said there would be an increased police presence at the QLD border to ensure people were adhering to the new regulations, and there would be more random intercepts to check travellers credentials.
Comments on social media indicated there was already an increased police presence at the border yesterday.
New Zealand has also paused the travel bubble to NSW residents due to the recent outbreak.
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