How Queensland’s coronavirus border lockdown will work
Authorities will be on the road from 12.01am Thursday in RBT-style road blocks to enforce Queensland’s border lockdown, with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk saying people in northern New South Wales should come for essential business only. FULL DETAILS + EXEMPTIONS
QLD News
Don't miss out on the headlines from QLD News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
TWEED residents will only be allowed in Queensland if it’s considered essential like work but they will not be allowed to socialise over the border once the QLD lockdown comes into place on Thursday.
This coronavirus article is unlocked and free to read in the interest of community health and safety. For full access to our journalism – and to download the digital edition of the newspaper as it is printed every day – subscribe for just $1 for 28 days here or couriermail.com.au/subscribe
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has revealed how the border shutdown will operate and it includes police roadblocks on major highways, passengers into airports to be met by police and other officers and forced to self-isolate for 14 days plus the termination of rail services.
RBT-style stoppages will be set up around the state with anyone needing to work in Queensland to apply for a permit.
Qld-NSW border closure leaves tens of thousands in limbo
Tourists urged to stay away from Moreton Bay islands these Easter holidays
Coronavirus: Stage two lockdown could happen in Australia tomorrow as eighth death revealed
There will be exemptions for: Freight, emergency vehicles, emergency workers, those travelling to and from work, court orders including family court, compassionate grounds and medical treatment.
Penalties include fines of up to $13,345.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said she doesn’t want anyone who doesn’t need to come interstate to travel to Queensland.
“If you are living in the southeast you should not be doing any non essential travel during the school break,” she said.
The Premier said Queensland did not have the resources to spend on contact tracing for people who weren’t residents.
Authorities will be on the road from 12.01am Thursday to crack down on the borders.
The border crackdown will cover road, rail, sea and air with anyone who has non-essential travel booked urged to cancel or postpone immediately.
All work will be considered essential as will freight services, authorities like police and medical appointments.
But the State Government has not yet established how people needing to cross the border will be identified, with State Disaster Coordinator Steve Gollschewski said authorities were working on a permit.
“Trying to find something really simple to be able to identify those cars that can come through so that people can get through really quickly,” he said.
He said it will need to be finalized by midnight tomorrow.
“If you can imagine, if you’ve ever been through an RBT in Queensland, with police presence ... it will be that kind of methodology,” he said.
The Premier said the number of incoming passengers had dropped.
“I don’t take this decision lightly, and I’m quite sure in 1918 they didn’t take the decision lightly either to close the border,” she said.
The Queensland/New South Wales border last closed at the end of World War 1 to contain the Spanish flu.
The Premier said the better the community observed measures to restrict travel, avoid personal contact and stay in their homes and suburbs the sooner the virus spread could be contained.
“People should stay in their own states and in their own suburbs,” she said.
“That applies to Queensland as well.
“People in the south-east should not travel to other parts of the state.
“Do not go on holidays. Do not travel unless absolutely necessary.”
Measures take effect from midnight tomorrow night and include:
- Border road closures and police checks on vehicles on major highways
- Advice to aircraft passengers at departure point that travellers to Queensland will be required to self-isolate for 14 days
- Travellers arriving at Queensland airports to be met by police and other officers
- Termination of rail services
Exemptions include:
- Freight
- Emergency vehicles
- Emergency workers
- Those travelling to and from work
- Court orders including family court
- Compassionate grounds
- Medical treatment
Originally published as How Queensland’s coronavirus border lockdown will work
Homeless crisis could explode ahead of Brisbane Olympics
Queensland’s homelessness crisis could escalate without proper planning ahead of the 2032 Olympics with a “world first” housing report released in a bid to ease pressures.
Mediscare 2.0: Labor hits back at LNP’s mass text campaign
An LNP mass text campaign calling on voters to stop a so-called patients tax by changing the government has been slammed as dishonest. And now Labor has returned the favour.