Queensland borders restrictions set to ease as state reaches 70 per cent vaccination milestone

Queensland is just days away from scrapping its border restrictions for thousands of residents desperate to enter the sunny state.

People from hotspots in NSW and Victoria will be able to enter Queensland in a matter of days as border restrictions start to ease.

The relaxed conditions come as the sunshine state clinched its 70 per cent double vaccination target on Sunday afternoon.

81.6 per cent of eligible people have had at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk took to Twitter to announce the news just hours after Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said the target could be reached within the next 24 hours.

BREAKING: We just hit 70% double dosed.

Keep it up Queenslanders 💪#GetVaccinatedpic.twitter.com/PyznKOjzxW

— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) November 14, 2021

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said on Sunday 23,380 vaccinations were administered on Saturday.

According to Queensland’s Covid-19 roadmap, once the 70 per cent target is reached anyone who has been in a hotspot in the past 14 days will be able to cross the border by air, providing they are fully vaccinated and have received a negative test in the previous 72 hours.

People entering Queensland will soon be able to home quarantine. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

In a significant shift, they will also be able to undertake 14 days of home quarantine, rather than be confined to a hotel.

Ms D’Ath said it would be another few days before the relaxed border restrictions came into effect.

“There will be a process and a lead-in time … to make sure everything is in place,” she said.

In other good news, acting chief health officer Dr Peter Aitken said there were no new cases of Covid-19 in the past 24 hours. Picture: NCA NewsWire / John Gass

Ms D’Ath said while people could start planning, the online border pass system would not update to allow for home quarantine until the 70 per cent target was officially reached.

The health minister also said things were looking good for a further easing of restrictions in the coming month.

“This 70 per cent target is just the start,” she said.

“We are well on our way to seeing 90 per cent of eligible Queenslanders having their first dose before Christmas.”

Queensland is expected to open its borders to any fully vaccinated person across the country from December 17, or whenever 80 per cent of residents have received two doses, whichever is first.

People who enter after this date will not have to quarantine, so long as they are fully vaccinated.

Queensland’s Acting Chief Health Officer Dr Peter Aitken says the state is well on the way to achieving 90 per cent first dose.

“Three days of 17,000 a day, a day of 23,00, we are now charging towards 90 per cent first dose,” Dr Aitken said.

“We can only ask Queenslanders to keep doing that, wer’re relying on you to come forward and get vacicnated and if we can get to 90 per cent first dose, we know we can get 90 per cent second dose.”