Covid-19 Qld: Hotels at capacity as state flooded by interstate exodus

The state’s hotel quarantine system is at capacity as authorities grapple with an influx of people from locked-down states wanting to relocate, along with Queenslanders returning home.

Queensland’s hotel quarantine system is at capacity as authorities grapple with an influx of people from locked-down states wanting to relocate, along with Queenslanders returning home.

It’s understood the State Government has been trying to find additional space to alleviate the “extraordinary pressure” being placed on the system for days which is currently housing more than 5000 people.

And The Courier-Mail understands authorities may consider assessing the risk of particular domestic travellers and letting them quarantine at home for their second week.

More quarantine hotels have also been brought online.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk spruiked the Sunshine State’s current situation at yesterday’s press conference – which was that Queensland was not in lockdown and on track to further lift restrictions this Friday if no community outbreaks were recorded.

“You can go to work, you can go to school, you can go watch sport, you can play community sport, you can go to a restaurant, you can go out,” she said.

Six new cases of Covid-19 were recorded on Tuesday, including two truck drivers who travelled from NSW, but authorities are not concerned.

NSW on Tuesday reported 753 new cases, while Victoria recorded 50.

A Queensland Health spokesperson on Tuesday night said there had been a “steady rise” in the number of people from other states in extended lockdown moving to Queensland throughout the pandemic.

“Since the emergence of Covid-19 outbreaks in New South Wales and Victoria, there has been a noticeable influx of people relocating here,” they said.

“This, along with regular overseas arrivals, has placed extraordinary pressure on our quarantine hotel capacity.

“Our hotel quarantine facilities have played a vital role in our pandemic response.

“Due to the outbreaks in NSW and Victoria, we strongly recommend people from hot spots planning on travelling to Queensland to reconsider.”

It is understood authorities have been trying to find space for days and that the majority of people currently accessing hotel quarantine are Queenslanders.

There is about 5300 people currently in hotel quarantine which is likely one of the biggest occupancies so far this year.

People relocating to Queensland from an interstate hotspot do not require an exemption from Queensland Health but are required to undergo 14 days’ quarantine.

Queensland Health was unable to say exactly how many people had moved to the state in the past two months from locked down areas.

It comes after more than 100 people in hotel quarantine were on Monday moved from the Ibis Styles in Brisbane’s CBD to the QT Hotel on the Gold Coast to make way for Defence force personnel arriving this week.

The Ibis Styles is currently operating as an Australian Defence Force managed quarantine facility but has been used to quarantine members of the public as a temporary measure to assist with increased demand.

Originally published as Covid-19 Qld: Hotels at capacity as state flooded by interstate exodus