Queensland closes borders as it declares Victoria a COVID hotspot

Anyone who arrives back in Queensland from Victoria today will face mandatory hotel quarantine. This is what you need to know.

Queenslanders returning from Victoria today will be required to go into mandatory quarantine.

As of 1am today, new harsher restrictions for returning Queenslanders were imposed after Victoria was yesterday declared a hotspot.

Non-Queensland residents who have been in Victoria in the last 14 days will be turned away, unless they have an exemption.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Thursday said police will be meeting arrivals at the airport.

Victoria last night began a stage three, seven-day lockdown after 12 new cases were reported.

Overall 26 cases were yesterday linked to a cluster in Melbourne’s northern suburbs.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has closed the state’s borders to Victoria. Picture: Dan Peled

“There will be police there on hand to meet any flights and check people and likewise, on our roads, especially on our borders, police once again will be doing random checks as well,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

She said her government was in contact with the AFL about hosting more teams in the state following the lockdown in Victoria and their schedule being thrown into disarray.

“We are speaking with the AFL and we’re more than happy to take more teams as needed,” she said.

“We are more than happy to accommodate teams where it safe to do so and a number of teams from the NRL are moving up here as well.”

Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young has urged anyone who has returned from Victoria and who has symptoms to come forward and get tested.

She said testing sites will continue to be open across the weekend.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO IF YOU’VE RECENTLY RETURNED FROM VICTORIA

- Anyone who arrived in Queensland before 1am on Thursday May 27 and has symptoms needs to get tested

- Anyone who entered Queensland between 1am on Thursday May 27 and 12.59am on Friday May 28 and has been in Victoria for the past 14 days must abide by Victoria’s lockdown requirements. That means you must remain at home or your arranged accommodation for the next seven days.

- Anyone who arrived in Queensland after 1am on Friday, May 28, and has been in Victoria over the past 14 days, will be required to go into mandatory quarantine.

Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young announces Queensland’s borders are shutting to Victoria.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath urged anyone who is already in Queensland after visiting Victoria to continue checking the list of exposure sites.

Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said as of 1am yesterday, anyone entering Queensland must have filled out a border pass.

There will be random checks at the state’s border roads in coming days.

Originally published as Queensland closes borders as it declares Victoria a COVID hotspot