Premier to reopen hotel quarantine from this Saturday

Queenslanders stuck in interstate hotspots can once again return home and enter hotel quarantine from this Saturday. It comes after no new local cases overnight. 

 Queenslanders stuck in interstate hotspots can start returning home from this Saturday but only 50 hotel quarantine spaces will be initially offered. 

It comes as no new Covid-19 cases were recorded in Queensland overnight while one was acquired overseas and detected in hotel quarantine. 

After being widely condemned on Tuesday for a decision which granted an exemption to NRL players' families and officials, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk this morning announced more rooms would be added as they became available. 

The 50 rooms will be given to returning Queenslanders or people relocating to Queensland who have been prioritised for early entry.

Officials will contact approved applicants.

From Monday September 6, the application process will reopen to those seeking to relocate to Queensland as well as returning Queenslanders.

However, those wishing to relocate will have to prove they are genuine either with proof of employment or change of residential status.

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - NewsWire Photos - AUGUST 31, 2021. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk speaks during Question Time at Parliament House. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

More than 19,800 vaccines were administered by Queensland Health on Tuesday. 

"Numbers in our quarantine hotels have only slightly eased so we can offer places to 50 as a start but we will add more places as rooms become available," the Premier said.

"No-one pretends that we will not face further outbreaks during this pandemic.The answer is to get vaccinated."As more supplies of the vaccine arrive we will find more ways to deliver them in more hubs."

Queensland Coalition minister Stuart Robert said the early re-opening of hotel quarantine from this weekend was “a start” but called for the Premier to reveal her Covid-19 plans moving forward.

“We still don't know the Premier's plan outside of lockdowns, lockouts and hotel quarantine for interstate arrivals,” he said.

“Last week the Premier announced more quarantine was to be built, so is the Premier's plan to quarantine forever, even with 80 per cent vaccinated?

“What about home quarantine for fully vaccinated Australians coming from interstate? South Australia is trialling right now and there is nothing stopping QLD trialling it for returning Queenslanders too.”

Originally published as Premier to reopen hotel quarantine from this Saturday

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