Queensland Borders From Friday 10 July

Queensland Health is continuing to actively respond to the declared public health emergency in relation to coronavirus (COVID-19).

From 12.01pm (midday) on 10 July 2020, the following changes to Queensland’s border regulations will come into effect under Border Restrictions Direction (No. 8).

Queensland border to COVID-19 hotspots

People who have been in a COVID-19 hotspot within the last 14 days will not be able to enter Queensland.

Currently, every local government area in Victoria is a declared COVID-19 hotspot due to high community transmission. Consequently, the Queensland border will remain closed to people who have been in Victoria unless they are:

• a Queensland resident returning home to Queensland. They will be required to undertake quarantine for 14 days at their own expense if directed to quarantine at a hotel
• a person undertaking an essential activity
• a person meeting a legal obligation related to shared parenting or child access
• a person required for court, tribunal or law enforcement purposes in Queensland, in which case the person will be in quarantine at their own cost and permitted to exit quarantine for specific purposes only
• transiting through a Queensland airport, without leaving the airport
• a person transiting through an airport in a COVID-19 hotspot, without leaving the airport
• a person who arrived in a COVID-19 hotspot and used private transport to travel directly to an airport in the hotspot, and did not leave the airport
• a person avoiding an immediate threat to safety e.g. domestic violence, who will be required to quarantine
• higher education and boarding school students including a parent or guardian who is accompanying a minor, who will be required to quarantine.

Queensland Border to other States and Territories

Any person from other states and territories including NSW, WA, SA, NT, Tasmania or ACT will be able to enter Queensland from 12pm, 10 July 2020, on completing a Queensland Border Declaration Pass. This includes tourists and recreational visitors.

Quarantine requirements will continue to apply to people who have COVID-19, have been overseas, have been in contact with a known case of COVID-19, or have symptoms of COVID-19.

Queensland Border Declaration Pass

All people entering Queensland are required to have completed the Queensland Border Declaration Pass, including freight transport drivers and individual family members e.g. children.

Once your Queensland Border Declaration Pass is approved, you will need to enter Queensland within 7 days, or you will need to apply for a new Queensland Border Declaration Pass. Completing the declaration provides an undertaking that if the person develops symptoms consistent with COVID-19 whilst in Queensland, they must present for a COVID-19 test.

The only exceptions of people not required to complete the Queensland Border Declaration Pass or undertaking are:

• maritime crew arriving in Queensland and not disembarking their vessel, and
• people providing an essential activity related to national and state security, police, health or emergency services and enters Queensland for an emergency e.g. an ambulance transporting a patient with a life-threatening condition.

Penalties will apply to anyone who provides false or misleading information in their Border Declaration, and the Chief Health Officer may impose further border restrictions, should any new COVID-19 hotspots occur anywhere in Australia.

For further information please visit Queensland Health website.