COVID-19 UPDATE: 3-Day Lockdown - Townsville, Palm Island & Magnetic Island

Today Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced that Townsville, Palm Island and Magnetic Island will be locked down for three days commencing 6pm this evening (Tuesday 29 June). This comes after a confirmed case visited both Townsville and Magnetic Island. 

The lockdown announcement is extremely challenging for our entire community, especially during school holidays and ahead of our long weekend. Our region has managed the risk of COVID-19 exceptionally well to date and we have confidence in the health officials to guide us through this current situation.

Whilst today’s news is difficult, we are a resilient community and we will get through this. We hope that this swift lock-down will enable us to emerge on Friday evening and salvage what we can for the rest of the school holidays but also our long weekend. It is a timely reminder that this pandemic is far from over, we need to continue to follow the health directives and boost our vaccinations rates.

We know that the businesses across the region, but particularly those in the tourism, hospitality and events sector are hurting. Townsville Enterprise will continue to work with all levels of Government to ensure our tourism industry has the support it needs to get through this and to safeguard the 8,000 jobs that rely on this sector. 

Click here for current list of exposure sites
Click here for the latest Queensland Health information

Restrictions are as follows:

As announced this morning, from 6pm Tuesday 29 June 2021, a 3-day lockdown will be in place for the following Local Government Areas (LGAs):

• Noosa
• Sunshine Coast
• Ipswich
• Logan
• Redlands
• Moreton Bay
• Brisbane
• Gold Coast
• Scenic Rim
• Lockyer Valley
• Somerset
• Townsville City (including Magnetic Island)
• Palm Island Aboriginal Shire

The lockdown restrictions will be reviewed on Friday 2 July.

Anyone in the affected LGAs will be required to stay at home except for essential reasons. Anyone who was in South East Queensland, Townsville (including Magnetic Island) or Palm Island on or since 6pm Tuesday 29 June 2021 is required to follow the same lockdown rules even if they are no longer in those areas.

Leaving your home

You can only leave your residence (which includes temporary accommodation such as a holiday rental) for limited permitted purposes such as:

1. Obtaining essential goods or services including healthcare (including vaccinations)
2. Exercise - you can exercise away from your home with your household group and/or one other person not from your household.
3. Attending essential work or childcare
4. Assisting vulnerable persons

You should stay in your local area wherever possible.

You can only have two visitors to your residence (excluding volunteers and workers).

Information for accommodation operators

• Anyone who was in South East Queensland, Townsville (including Magnetic Island) or Palm Island on or since 6pm Tuesday 29 June 2021 is required to follow the same lockdown rules even if they are no longer in those areas.
• Accommodation rooms are treated as residences for the duration of a customer’s stay. Guests should only leave their rooms for one of the four reason above.
• If a guest chooses to, they can check out and return directly home if within the lockdown period.
• Any guest staying in a hotel in the lockdown area would have to maintain their lockdown in QLD regardless if they got the “all clear” from a COVID test.
• Post 6pm tonight until Friday 6pm – accommodation properties can choose to refuse bookings that are obviously from people in the lockdown local government areas. This may impact guests that are looking to onward travel from Townsville or Magnetic Island, I would suggest that they phone ahead to confirm future bookings prior to travel.
• There are the scenarios of genuine business travel (i.e. Bernie flies to Townsville tomorrow on genuine business) the person can stay and leave for any of the four stated reasons.

Sealink services update

• Ferry services to Magnetic Island for the remainder of Tuesday 29 June 2021 will continue as per normal schedule.
• From Wednesday 30 June 2021 to Friday 2 July 2021, Sealink will operate on a temporary reduced schedule to assist with Essential travel.

For a copy of the timetable please visit https://www.sealinkqld.com.au/.../timetables/magnetic-island

Mask wearing

You must carry a face mask at all times when you leave home, unless you have a lawful reason not to. You must wear a mask in indoor spaces, such as:

• shopping centres and supermarkets
• hospitals and aged care facilities, if permitted to visit
• indoor workplaces (where safe to wear a mask and you can’t physically distance)
• public transport, taxis and rideshare, and waiting places or queues for this transport
• airports and travelling on planes

Masks do not need to be worn in some circumstances, including children under 12 years, where people have certain medical conditions, and in workplaces where it is not safe to do so.

Masks may be removed when sitting down to eat and drink, undertaking strenuous exercise and for employment purposes.

Other restrictions

Non-essential businesses are not allowed to operate. Cinemas, entertainment and recreation venues, hairdressers, beauty and personal care services, gyms and places of worship will all close.

Childcare centres will remain open.

Restaurants and cafes can provide take away or home delivery services only.

Funerals will be limited to 20 people, and weddings will be limited to 10 people, including the celebrant and the couple.

Restrictions on aged care, hospitals, disability care and correctional facilities apply with no personal visitors allowed. Anyone attending these facilities in South East Queensland, Townsville or Palm Island, including staff, must wear a mask. People will still be able to visit their loved ones who are at end of life.

Visitors to Townsville, Magnetic Island and Palm Island can return to their home but must follow the same lockdown rules when you return home, regardless of where your destination is. We encourage interstate visitors to review the most up-to-date border advice. 

Visitors live outside South East Queensland, Townsville or Palm Island, you can transit through those areas without stopping.