Aaron Bunch Journalist with Australian Associated Press | Collection of published work | + 61 484 008 119 | abunch@aap.com.au
Queensland-NSW border closure looms
Queenslanders are being urged to head home as the state prepares to reinstate a hard border lockdown with NSW at the weekend.
August 6, 2020
Queenslanders have been told to get home before the state closes its border with NSW at the weekend.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Wednesday announced the closure as Australia recorded its deadliest day of the pandemic so far.
“Victoria hasn’t improved as we hoped and I won’t wait for NSW to get any worse,” she said.
“I will not risk the safety of Queenslanders and I will not risk our economy.”
Queensland will close its border with NSW and ban ACT residents from 1am Saturday when Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young declares them coronavirus hotspots.
Road access will be blocked to all vehicles except those from border communities or carrying essential workers.
Queenslanders returning after this time will have to undergo a 14-day hotel quarantine at their own expense.
The current restriction on people travelling from Victoria remains in place.
People from non-hotspot locations will have to travel by air or via the Northern Territory border.
It comes as as Melbourne moves into a six-week coronavirus lockdown after 725 new cases and 15 new deaths on Wednesday, bringing the national death toll to 247.
Queensland’s border closures will be reviewed at the end of August.