YES: On Monday, QLD Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced that state borders would finally reopen to fully-vaccinated people in hot spot areas from December 17.
It’s part of the Premier’s roadmap to gradually open borders in time for Christmas and reunite families that may not have seen one another in months.
“[From December 17] travellers from a designated interstate hotspot can travel by road or by air, they must be fully vaccinated, they must have a negative COVID test in the previous 72 hours and no quarantine will be required,” Palaszczuk said.
“That is good news for families to be reunited for Christmas.”
However, this all depends on whether Queensland hits its vaccination targets in time. According to modelling, 80% of Queenslanders could be fully vaccinated by December 17 (when borders are expected to open).
On November 19 – when the state is projected to hit 70% – people from hotspots will be able to enter Queensland, but will have to do so by plane and quarantine for 14 days at home.
On November 19 when the state is projected to hit 70%, people from hotspots can still enter Queensland, but will have to do so by plane and quarantine for 14 days at home.
“If you are coming from a declared domestic hotspot – so that’s New South Wales or Victoria – in the previous 14 days, you can travel into Queensland provided that you are fully vaccinated and you arrive by air and have a negative COVID test in the previous 72 hours, and you’ll have to undertake home quarantine for 14 days,” Palaszczuk said.
If all goes to plan, this gives Queenslanders six weeks to get vaccinated or risk being vulnerable to COVID-19 when the virus inevitably reaches the state.
“The most important thing [for] every single Queenslander aged 12 and over is to protect themselves,” Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said.
“Once we start seeing cases, this virus will find people who aren’t vaccinated, and we now have a deadline.”
According to Young, it’s estimated that Queensland could peak at around 400 cases per day next year, which she says their healthcare system can cope with.
She also made a note to encourage young people aged 20-39 to get the jab, as they remain largely unvaccinated.
So go get jabbed please!
All Aussies over the age of 12 are currently able to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Click here to see which clinics are offering it, and talk to a doctor for more info.
The best vaccine is the first one you can get, and that’ll be our ticket out of this mess.
