Overview
If you're a Sydneysider with a trip to Queensland in your future — or vice versa — the pandemic might've just interrupted your plans. With two new locally acquired COVID-19 cases identified in the New South Wales capital in the past two days, and the Greater Sydney region reinstating some gathering restrictions and an indoor mask mandate, the Sunshine State has announced new border rules. It isn't shutting its borders, but it does now require travellers who've visited an exposure site to undertake 14 days of quarantine.
The change was announced today, Thursday, May 6, and has two components. Anyone who is currently in Queensland, or arrives in the state before 1am tomorrow, Friday, May 7, is required to quarantine at their home or accommodation, call the state's 13 HEALTH number (13 43 25 84) and get a COVID-19 test. Folks who arrive after that time won't have the same luxury, though; instead, they'll be sent to mandatory hotel quarantine for 14 days once they enter Queensland.
The latter process — sending people who've visited a declared interstate exposure site into compulsory hotel quarantine for a fortnight — is part of Queensland's new Interstate Exposure Venues Direction. It came into effect on April 28, and applies moving forward. So, whenever an outbreak occurs somewhere other than Queensland, anyone who has visited declared exposure venues and then heads to the Sunshine State will be sent to mandatory hotel quarantine.
The list of exposure sites was first announced by NSW Health yesterday, Wednesday, May 5, and has been growing since. Queensland Health has also been keeping a list, if you're a Brisbanite who has spent some time in Sydney lately, or you're a Sydneysider keen to head north in the near future.
Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young also advised that anyone who has been in Greater Sydney on or after Tuesday, April 27 "should be monitoring closely for symptoms and getting tested immediately if they experience COVID-19 symptoms, no matter how mild."
And, if you need a reminder, the symptoms to look out for are coughs, fever, sore or scratchy throat, shortness of breath, or loss of smell or taste.
For more information about southeast Queensland's COVID-19 border requirements, or about the status of COVID-19 in the state, visit the Qld COVID-19 hub and the Queensland Health website. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website.