FULL DETAILS: Home quarantine rules for QLD

Travellers from Covid hotspots will be able to fly into Queensland and home quarantine from 5pm today when the new border pass system goes live. The pass will be issued immediately provided the traveller meets the criteria. SEE THE LIST

Stranded Queenslanders can begin the process of returning home as the ban on interstate travellers arriving from Covid-19 hotspots is lifted from 5pm Monday November 15 with travellers able to fly in and home quarantine provided they meet a set criteria. 

As the state hits the major 70 per cent double dose vaccination target, the government has announced a new border pass system to allow travellers to enter the state and home quarantine for 14 days. 

Health Minister Yvette D'Ath revealed that people will be able to access the border pass system from 5pm today (Monday November 15) and they would be issued "immediately" provided they are double vaccinated and adhere to criteria. 

This includes people coming from Covid hotspots in NSW, Victoria and ACT and finally gives them the ‘certainty to book their flights’.

“Your border pass will be instant as long as you can meet the criteria of uploading your vaccination status, uploading your flight details and most importantly uploading your negative test,” she said.

Ms D'Ath said to be approved, travellers must provide a negative PCR Covid-19 test at their own expense within 72 hours of arriving into the state, and it must be two weeks since travellers have had their second dose. 

They must arrive by air and not land or boat as a "protection measure" until vaccination rates reach 80 per cent. 

Their residence of home quarantine must be within two hours of the airport they are arriving into, including regional areas, and must have direct access to fresh air with no shared common areas such as apartments.

They can transit once through Brisbane Airport.

People arriving in Queensland airports from Monday may use their own vehicle to drive themselves home or organise a contactless car hire, Ms D'Ath said.

She said that travellers may only drive their own vehicle if someone drops the car off and no direct contact is made. 

"I want to make it clear, a normal taxi or Uber or rideshare is not available and will not meet criteria," she said.

Public ridesharing also includes any form of public transport. 

"We do not want to see people going into home quarantine getting into general use vehicles that could see transmission spreading," she said.

Ms D'Ath said the same rule that applied for the home quarantine trial in October will still be in place where travellers can be picked up by family members who have also opted to undertake home quarantine with said traveller. 

They must apply for a border pass once it goes live at 5pm today and upload all the documentation. They'll be issued a pass immediately.

Deputy police commissioner Steve Gollschewski said people coming into Queensland needed to make sure they meet the requirements of entry to be able to complete home quarantine.

"If they don't, they will not be issued a border pass," he said.

Mr Gollschewski said when arriving at airports in Queensland, people should expect police presence and should expect to be checked.

He also said they will be subject to ongoing compliance checking throughout their 14 days of home quarantine. 

Queensland Health Minister Yvette D'Ath during a press conference in Brisbane. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

Ms D’Ath said this was another push for people to get vaccinated as the home quarantine system comes with a risk.

“This means thousands of people will be able to fly in and home quarantine who have been in hotspots,” she said.

HOME QUARANTINE CRITERIA

- Travellers must be fully vaccinated and it has been at least two weeks since their last dose

- Have a negative PCR test at least 72 hours prior

- Have a residence they can quarantine at which has direct fresh air access from the front door (ie: a house or townhouse)

- They can fly direct from the hotspot (Vic, NSW, ACT), to the port of call and is then within a two-hour drive from landing.

- Must have an approved border pass

- They can transit via Brisbane airport if there is no direct flights

Originally published as FULL DETAILS: Home quarantine rules for QLD