Queensland’s roadmap to freedom revealed with domestic and international borders to reopen
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk confirmed her state would open its borders by December 17 – but it might actually be much sooner.
Hope is back on the horizon for Queenslanders hoping to get overseas and the millions of Aussies desperate to access the Sunshine State before Christmas.
The anticipation for Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s usual daily Covid announcement was high after it was pushed a few hours, to give Queensland’s cabinet the time it needed to discuss a roadmap to freedom.
Speaking to reporters this afternoon, Ms Palaszczuk outlined the state’s “liquid” Covid plan, that is entirely dependent on when Queensland hits its 70 and 80 per cent vaccine milestones.
But the milestones are actually on track to be met much sooner.
Based on the current seven-day average of second doses, the covidlive website predicts Queensland will hit 70 per cent double dose in 22 days, or on Tuesday, November 9.
Likewise, the 80 per cent double dose milestone will also be hit early in 39 days, or November 26, weeks sooner that Ms Palaszczuk’s official date.
What happens when Queensland hits 70, 80 and 90 per cent vaccination?
When Queensland hits 70 per cent double dose – which Ms Palaszczuk said she expected by November 19 – fully vaccinated interstate residents from declared hotspots will be allowed to fly into Queensland.
They will need to have received a negative Covid test within 72 hours of their flight and will then have to quarantine for 14 days at a home.
When Queensland hits 80 per cent double dose – expected on December 17 – fully vaccinated Australians from interstate will be free to drive or fly into the state.
The negative Covid test within 72 hours of the flight will still be required however home quarantine will be scrapped.
Fully vaccinated overseas arrivals will also be allowed in at 80 per cent double dose, provided they receive a negative test within 72 hours and home quarantine.
And at 90 per cent double dose vaccination, Queensland will completely open its domestic and international borders, with no quarantine or entry requirements for vaccinated travellers.
BREAKING: Today we’re releasing a plan for Queensland borders.
— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) October 18, 2021
Travel restrictions will ease when 70% and 80% of eligible Queenslanders are fully vaccinated.#covid19pic.twitter.com/4PANA1CBjF
Ms Palaszczuk urged the state to take up vaccination, if it wants to be freer quicker than the dates set out.
“The faster we are vaccinated, the faster these deadlines will be achieved,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“It means that some of these dates may come forward if we get the vaccination rates up.
“We know that the world is a big place and there are families across Australia and there are families across the world and people have been telling me how they missed seeing their uncles, their aunts, their mothers, their fathers, their children.
“This is really important that we unite Queenslanders but we do it in the safest way. We are going to try to minimise the risk and there are key steps along the path.”
However, while Queenslanders can bring forward their freedoms, Ms Palaszczuk said she was “locked in” to the December 17 date, even if the state doesn’t hit 80 per cent double dose by then.
“We have to reunite families. This is fundamental,” she said.
Queensland urging state to live with the virus
Queensland has had zero community transmission of coronavirus for the past two weeks but the rhetoric around Covid zero among the state’s leaders and health officials has changed recently.
Chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young said yesterday it was time to “normalise” the virus so Queenslanders could “regain our full lives again”.
More than 72 per cent of Queenslanders over the age of 16 have received one dose of coronavirus vaccine and 56.58 per cent per cent are fully vaccinated.
Vaccination rates in Brisbane are much higher than that in regional Queensland, the premier said today.
Ms Palaszczuk said she would be sending out her ministers across the “length and breadth” of Queensland to encourage vaccination uptake.
Queensland’s international borders have been closed since March 2020, in line with the rest of Australia.
Domestically however, Queensland has taken one of the hardest stances in Australia around the way it locked down its internal borders.
NSW, Victoria, the ACT and southern Tasmania are currently declared hotspots in Queensland meaning anyone coming from those states or regions must quarantine for 14 days in a hotel.
Northern NSW is spared from the hotspot definition after a border bubble was established between the region and southern Queensland.
NSW will be the first state to reopen its international borders when it welcomes back fully vaccinated Australians from November 1, with no quarantine.
Victoria and the ACT are expected to follow suit shortly after.
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