Queensland Has Declared Victoria a COVID-19 Hotspot and Will Close Its Borders Again

If you're a Queenslander with a trip to Melbourne in your future — or vice versa — the pandemic has just interrupted your plans. Yes, again. With the Victorian capital now in a five-day lockdown in an attempt to contain its latest COVID-19 cases, the Sunshine State has just declared the southern state a coronavirus hotspot. And, as a result, Queensland will close its borders to all of Victoria once more.

The change was announced today, Friday, July 16, by Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, and will come into effect at 1am tomorrow, Saturday, July 17. It applies to the entire state, and doesn't have an end date at present.

With the Victorian closure, folks who've been in that state will no longer be permitted to enter Queensland unless they receive an exemption and then go into government quarantine for 14 days. This affects anyone coming into Queensland who has been to Victoria in the past 14 days. And, if you arrive in the Sunshine State from Victoria during the remainder of today, you'll be required to go into a five-day lockdown at home, just as if you were still down south.

Queensland's online travel declarations are also in effect, after the state brought them in permanently back in June. So anyone travelling to the Sunshine State from another Aussie state or territory — or from NZ — always now needs to fill out the form.

Announcing the border closure today, the Premier said that "the clear message to Queenslanders is definitely do not go to New South Wales and do not go to Victoria during this period of time."

And, yes, it's interesting to note that the borders will close to all of Victoria based on its current cases; however, with New South Wales, the borders are currently only closed to the Greater Sydney area.

For more information about Queensland's COVID-19 border restrictions, 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 COVID-19 in Victoria and the state's current restrictions, head over to the Department of Health website.