Western Australia will tighten its border controls with Queensland from Monday, when visitors from that state will be required to quarantine for 14 days.Key points:The elevated risk level comes after community spread of COVID-19 in QueenslandIt is also in response to the planned softening of Queensland’s border regulations on MondayWestern Australia’s government says a cautious approach is … Read more
Queensland has announced new quarantine rules for fully vaccinated people, as the state records one new community case of COVID-19.Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said the new case was flagged as a potential positive on the Gold Coast yesterday, with the virus believed to have been transmitted through a casual contact at a Bunnings hardware store.Queensland … Read more
Queensland has recorded its first cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.A Nigerian man, who tested positive while in hotel quarantine in Cairns a few days ago, has been confirmed as a positive case of the new variant.The man flew into Queensland on Jetstar flight JQ950 from Sydney to Cairns on Friday, December 3, and … Read more
Queensland will open its borders to fully vaccinated travellers from interstate hotspots on 1:00am, Monday, December 13, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has announced.With 78.67 per cent of Queenslanders over the age of 16 fully vaccinated, the state is opening up to the hotspots ahead of the scheduled December 17 date.From next Monday, double-dosed travellers from hotspots – including … Read more
The Queensland human rights commissioner, Scott McDougall, says the commission has received a spike in inquiries due to confusion over a lack of detail about the state’s Covid border rules.McDougall said that in the past few weeks, since the Queensland government announced its plans to reopen the state border, more than a third of inquiries … Read more
The threat from Queensland’s latest COVID scares has been declared over by authorities with the good news coming as the Health Minister apologised for confusion over border rules.The state has recorded no new community cases and there are just five active cases in the state.Acting Chief Health Officer Peter Aitken said it had been a “week of good … Read more
The Queensland government is considering a Gold Coast-Tweed border bubble when the state’s roads reopen to New South Wales next month, but Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says a COVID-19 scare in Byron Bay is a concern.Key points:Queensland authorities will examine the Byron COVID case “very carefully” before enacting a border bubblePremier said the case was a reminder people must get … Read more
The Queensland premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, says the requirement for travellers to take a $150 Covid test will remain in place until the state hits its 90% vaccination target.Palaszczuk has called for a Medicare rebate for PCR tests for inbound travellers, but the federal government is urging the state to consider rapid antigen testing instead.The state … Read more
Queensland authorities will examine “a loophole” in the demand for COVID testing that could allow people to travel to hotspots and return to Queensland without being tested interstate.Acting Chief Health Officer Peter Aitken said the testing rules once the state’s borders open to COVID-19 hotspots would be reconsidered after he confirmed Queensland had recorded no new cases.Under … Read more
Some frustrated businesses in regional Queensland say they fear they will have to “shut their doors” due to the state government’s impending tough COVID-19 restrictions for unvaccinated people.Key points:Roughly 400 business owners attend a meeting in Yeppoon discussing navigating impending restrictionsIt follows a similar meeting held recently in MackayState MP Brittany Lauga says business would be in a … Read more
Elated families have reunited across Queensland’s airports as COVID-19 restrictions ease in the state, but others waiting to drive across the border are still locked out and say they are at the “end of their tether”.Key points:Queensland’s borders opened for people flying from interstate COVID-19 hotspots todayReturning Queenslanders at Brisbane airport were happy but also frustrated … Read more
About 1.6 million Queensland residents remain unvaccinated against COVID-19, as the state prepares to open borders to inoculated travellers flying in from virus hotspots interstate.Key points:The Queensland government is expected to announce today how people can start applying for border passesAn infectious disease expert is concerned the virus will spread quickly once border rules relaxAbout … Read more
Queensland has recorded two locally acquired cases of COVID-19, both linked and in home quarantine, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced.Both cases are female, one a child under 10 and one in her teens, and linked to the Moree cluster.Neither had been infectious in the community.Queensland COVID-19 snapshotIn the past 24 hours:Locally acquired cases: 2Other sources: 2Tests: 9,474Queensland’s vaccine rollout (percentage of … Read more
Investigations are underway to identify Uber passengers and other close contacts of a Gold Coast man who tested positive to COVID-19.The rideshare driver in his 50s from Carrara is now in hospital, has no links to known cases and was potentially infectious in the community for three days.On Wednesday it was revealed a 32-year-old man from Pacific … Read more
Contact tracing teams are urgently investigating the movements of two people who tested positive to COVID-19 after spending several days in the Queensland community while potentially infectious.A 32-year-old man, who had had one dose of a vaccine, has contracted the virus on the Gold Coast and was in the community for six days while infectious.The man’s three close-contact family members, … Read more
The Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance NT is calling on federal health authorities to pressure the territory government into changing how it measures the local coronavirus vaccination rollout.The government counts the number of “jabs in arms” whereas the federal government data uses the Australian Immunisation Register data, which is based on addresses registered with Medicare.Chief Minister Michael Gunner says the NT is … Read more
I have been working closely with colleagues in New South Wales, ACT and Victoria over the last few weeks to prepare for exactly the issues that have been faced and that is a rapidly moving space, in terms of how rapid antigen tests can be used in those circumstances, what is the minimum amount of … Read more
Queensland has recorded no new community cases of COVID-19.The state has detected three new cases in hotel quarantine – two travellers from overseas and one from interstate.There is currently a small cluster in the Queensland border town of Goondiwindi, with 5,826 tests done in the past 24 hours. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the state looked set to hit … Read more
Victorian opposition calls for resumption of elective surgeryVictoria’s opposition is calling for elective surgery to resume for the tens of thousands of people waiting for operations.The public hospital waitlist was already long in many instances before the pandemic hit, and has ballooned during the state’s prolonged lockdowns.With hundreds of Victorians still in hospital with COVID-19, … Read more
Queensland has recorded three new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in Goondiwindi as the mayor of the southern border town says he is concerned about gatherings in northern New South Wales.Key points:Two of Queensland’s three new COVID-19 cases were infectious in the community for daysPremier Annastacia Palaszczuk has warned the virus will “hunt out” unvaccinated peopleVaccination rates among … Read more
Queensland’s Health Minister is standing firm on a decision to require hotel quarantine for returning overseas travellers after state borders open up to people from interstate COVID-19 hotspots next month.It comes as Queensland records another day of no new cases in the state, however new exposure site details have been listed for a Goondiwindi truck stop after a truck driver passed through on the … Read more
COVID vaccine developer refusing jab because he’s had his ownAAPAdelaide medical researcher Nikolai Petrovsky has developed and administered his own COVID-19 vaccine and says he is facing the sack because of his refusal to get one of the TGA-approved ones.The director of endocrinology at Flinders Medical Centre has developed a vaccine candidate, COVAX-19, which completed phase 1 trials in … Read more
The low rates of COVID-19 vaccination in regional Queensland are not due to a lack of resources, the Deputy Premier says, as the state records another day of zero new cases.Key points:The state is due to reopen on December 17 and only 55 per cent of central Queenslanders are vaccinatedSuspended health staff have a week to follow … Read more
Queensland has recorded no new cases of COVID-19 as outgoing Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young shares her final message to “get vaccinated” on her last day in the job after more than 16 years.Key points:Fewer than two-thirds of Queenslanders are fully vaccinated, despite the looming December 17 opening of the state’s bordersJust over three-quarters have … Read more
Deputy Premier Steven Miles says Queensland has recorded no new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 as the state starts its search for a new chief health officer.The man slated to replace Jeannette Young will no longer be starting the job on Monday.Queensland COVID-19 snapshotIn the past 24 hours:Locally acquired cases: 0Other sources: 0Tests: 8,799Queensland’s vaccine rollout (percentage … Read more
Western Australia assesses Queensland as ‘very low’ riskThe change came into effect just after midnight, and you know what that means — quarantine-free travel.Queensland was meant to move to “very low risk” last Friday, but that was put on hold after a positive case was recorded on the Gold Coast on Thursday.”With the inclusion of … Read more
Questions from the audienceGood morning Bridget. Just wondering when Novavax may be available in Australia?-Vax to the max Morning, Vax to the max.Deputy Chief Medical Officer Michael Kidd was asked about this over the weekend — here’s what he had to say:”So, at the moment we don’t know when Novavax will become available. We’re still … Read more
The search for a man missing in outback Queensland has taken a bizarre twist, with one of the people he was camping with since testing positive to COVID-19.Key points:At least one person who had been camping with missing man Jeremiah Rivers has returned a positive COVID testIt is unclear if the man contracted the virus … Read more
Queensland has recorded no new locally acquired COVID-19 cases as officials urge 400,000 people yet to be vaccinated to act immediately now that border controls on the virus are set to ease.Key points:The Premier says people have 12 days to get vaccinated to be fully protected when borders open to hotspotsShe says about 400,000 Queenslanders … Read more
Queensland has recorded no new locally acquired cases of COVID-19, as the state turns to a novel way to increase vaccination rates.Treasurer Cameron Dick held this morning’s press conference at a Bunnings warehouse in Logan, south of Brisbane.Pop-up vaccination clinics will be available for the first time today at 33 Bunnings stores across the state, … Read more
What do the health experts have to say about the lockdown ending in NSW?Epidemiologist Tony Blakley said in about 10 to 21 days, the government should assess how fast cases are increasing. If the data suggests cases will soon surge to about 4,000 a day or more (at which point over 2,000 would be on hospital on … Read more
The Queensland Premier attended the same location as a COVID-19 infected person earlier this week, reportedly missing them by an hour during her visit to the Gold Coast.Key points:Annastacia Palaszczuk visited the same Coolangatta café as a COVID-infected person on MondayThe café’s owners and staff are self quarantining, but the Premier was not required toThe wrong … Read more
Queensland has recorded two new community cases of COVID-19, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says.One is linked to an existing cluster and the other infection was acquired interstate.The Premier said while the situation is being monitored closely, there was still no lockdown for Queensland.”The fundamental reason we are not in lockdown is because we do not have any … Read more
Queensland has recorded six new community cases of COVID-19 and new restrictions will be introduced for parts of the state’s south-east and the Townsville region, but Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says authorities are “not too concerned at this stage”.Ms Palaszczuk said four of those cases are linked to the aviation trainer cluster, which began with a man … Read more
Queensland’s unfolding COVID-19 outbreak has put the state on a “knife’s edge”, with the next few days crucial in containing the virus.Key points:An expert says Queenslanders must minimise contact with others while the latest infections are investigatedQueensland is near the back of the pack nationally when it comes to vaccination ratesQueenslanders are being urged to … Read more
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has again urged Queenslanders to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and signalled revised modelling due this week would determine the state’s path to reopening to people from New South Wales and Victoria.Ms Palaszczuk has come under pressure to commit to a plan to reopen the state’s borders as Queensland recorded another day with no … Read more
Queensland has recorded one new locally acquired COVID-19 case.Key points:The case was detected in a child on the final day of home quarantineTwo pop-up vaccine clinics will be set up at Lang Park ahead of the NRL preliminary finalsQueensland’s tourism industry will be given a $30 million support package to attract interstate visitorsThe case is … Read more
Mask-wearing rules for parts of Queensland have been eased slightly as the state records a day with no new COVID-19 cases.Deputy Premier Steven Miles said there have been no cases recorded either in the community or in quarantine, quoting the Premier in declaring a “double donut day”.While mask requirements will remain in place for another two weeks in south-east Queensland, … Read more
Queensland has recorded one new local case of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours.Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the COVID-positive person was a female student from St Thomas More College in Sunnybank, which was linked to a known cluster.The student has been in home quarantine.Ms Palaszczuk said there was also a second case in a person who had arrived from … Read more
South Australians will be able to stand up and drink in beer gardens and other outdoor venues from Thursday, with the state’s authorities also set to ease COVID-19 testing requirements for travellers from south-east Queensland.Key points:Dancing will be allowed for up to 50 people at private functionsPeople will be able to stand up and drink … Read more
Queensland has recorded zero locally acquired cases of COVID-19 and one was detected in hotel quarantine.Key points:Authorities are monitoring the state’s border bubble with NSW after a positive case in the Byron Bay areaShe says she will wait to hear an update from NSW before making any changes to the border statusThe Premier described reports of Queensland … Read more
Queensland has recorded zero new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 as authorities look into contact tracing efforts after an infected traveller transited through Brisbane Airport on their way to the Northern Territory.Key points:The traveller spent four hours in transit at Brisbane Airport while infectiousPremier Annastacia Palaszczuk is confident Queensland has ticked over to 60 per cent with a … Read more
There have been no new locally acquired COVID-19 cases recorded in Queensland as people turn out in large numbers to get vaccinated at walk-in hubs. The state also detected no new cases in hotel quarantine, making it a “double donut” day.Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said Saturday was a record day for vaccinations in Queensland, with 31,004 jabs … Read more