Skip to main content

Queensland SHUTS DOWN hotel quarantine to stop Covid-19 refugees trying to escape lockdown in NSW and Victoria - as Annastacia Palaszczuk shows off a VERY striking new look

Queensland has temporarily shut down its border to those wanting to relocate from NSW, Victoria and the ACT because hotel quarantine is 'full' after the state recorded zero new Covid cases overnight. 

'We are really concerned about the pressure that the hotel quarantine system is putting on our resources,' Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said in her Wednesday morning press conference. 

Ms Palaszczuk - sporting a glamorous new look - said residents seeking to relocate from Covid hotspots had overwhelmed the state's hotel quarantine system. 

'While we have allowed genuine relocations for work and other purposes, it has overwhelmed our hotels and it has to be stopped for at least the next fortnight,' she said. 'Queensland is being loved to death.'

The new rules come into effect from 12pm Wednesday. 

'Queensland is being loved to death,' Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said as she debuted a glam new look at Wednesday's Covid update

'Queensland is being loved to death,' Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said as she debuted a glam new look at Wednesday's Covid update

New rules for those who need to quarantine in a hotel when relocating to Queensland will require people to book a room in the hotel facility before they travel and re-apply for a border pass (Brisbane's Hotel Grand Chancellor, pictured)

New rules for those who need to quarantine in a hotel when relocating to Queensland will require people to book a room in the hotel facility before they travel and re-apply for a border pass (Brisbane's Hotel Grand Chancellor, pictured)

From 12pm Wednesday people entering Queensland will not be permitted to enter on a right of entry pass and would need to reapply for a border pass to be allocated a time to enter in another fortnight (pictured - travellers wearing masks in Queensland)

From 12pm Wednesday people entering Queensland will not be permitted to enter on a right of entry pass and would need to reapply for a border pass to be allocated a time to enter in another fortnight (pictured - travellers wearing masks in Queensland)

There were currently 5,114 people in 22 quarantine hotels - 3,257 from interstate and 1,857 from overseas - the largest number since the hotel quarantine system was put in place in the state.

Between August 9 and 20, 2,750 people received border passes to relocate to Queensland, the premier said, including 1,983 people in one week.

Exemptions will exist for people accessing medical treatment or other special circumstances including bereavement.

'We do not have any room at the moment,' Ms Palaszczuk said. 'We're being stretched to the limit. It's too much pressure, it's putting our workers and our community at risk.

'We don't want to see Delta coming into our community.' 

She said Queensland Police and the health department had put the proposal to her to shut down hotel quarantine for a fortnight, saying there had even been requests from the Commonwealth government to help resettle refugees from Afghanistan as a result of the Taliban's takeover.

The new rules require individuals to book a room in a quarantine facility before they travel to Queensland. 

They must also re-apply for a border pass, including returning Queensland residents.  

'Anyone who's not already on a flight at midday will not be able to arrive simply on a right of entry pass,' Health Minister Yvette D'Ath said. 

'Everyone who's a Queensland resident, or seeking to relocate, will need to reapply for their pass.' 

Ms D'Ath said passes would be reissued in the next fortnight, allocating each applicant a time period to arrive in Queensland so hotel room capacity could be managed.

Queensland Police stop vehicles on the border with NSW at Coolangatta. New border measures require essential workers entering Queensland to have had at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine

Queensland Police stop vehicles on the border with NSW at Coolangatta. New border measures require essential workers entering Queensland to have had at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine 

Strict border controls between Queensland and NSW are in place as the Delta outbreak that originated in Sydney continues to spread

Strict border controls between Queensland and NSW are in place as the Delta outbreak that originated in Sydney continues to spread

Ms Palaszczuk said the state had recently seen 'surges' above the cap on international arrivals, necessitating the new hotel quarantine rules. 

'I want people to come home,' she said. 'If people want to relocate here, I want them to relocate here but we just have to do it in a sensible and orderly fashion.' 

Ms Palaszczuk appeared to have a glamorous new look at today's press conference. 

'Gladys wants hairdressers to reopen, maybe she's jelly of Annastacia's 'do,' wrote one Twitter user.

Meanwhile, two truck drivers who entered Queensland from NSW are no longer deemed positive cases. 

Chief health officer Jeannette Young said further testing determined the two truckies had returned false positives and were no longer deemed a risk. 

'These two truck drivers were superb, doing their routine testing and extra testing and maintained social distancing at all times, stayed at home when they weren't driving the trucks,' Dr Young said.  

Border residents protest the current restrictions on NSW residents entering Queensland at Coolangatta last weekend

Border residents protest the current restrictions on NSW residents entering Queensland at Coolangatta last weekend 

On Tuesday Ms Palaszczuk pushed back at Prime Minister Scott Morrison's comments yesterday morning that people needed to 'get out of the cave' and open up the country once vaccination rates reach 80 per cent.

The premier said unlike people some other states, Queenslanders were already living in relative freedom.

'Have a look at Queensland at the moment: you can go to work and go to school, you can go watch sport, you can play community sport, you can go to a restaurant, you can go out, we haven't given up,' she said.     

The announcement about hotel quarantine changes came as 120 Australian Defence Forces personnel today joined Queensland Police and SES volunteers to check compliance with restrictions at the NSW-Queensland border. 

Popular posts from this blog

Study Abroad USA, College of Charleston, Popular Courses, Alumni

Thinking for Study Abroad USA. School of Charleston, the wonderful grounds is situated in the actual middle of a verifiable city - Charleston. Get snatched up by the wonderful and customary engineering, beautiful pathways, or look at the advanced steel and glass building which houses the School of Business. The grounds additionally gives students simple admittance to a few major tech organizations like Amazon's CreateSpace, Google, TwitPic, and so on. The school offers students nearby as well as off-grounds convenience going from completely outfitted home lobbies to memorable homes. It is prepared to offer different types of assistance and facilities like clubs, associations, sporting exercises, support administrations, etc. To put it plainly, the school grounds is rising with energy and there will never be a dull second for students at the College of Charleston. Concentrate on Abroad USA is improving and remunerating for your future. The energetic grounds likewise houses various

Best MBA Online Colleges in the USA

“Opportunities never open, instead we create them for us”. Beginning with this amazing saying, let’s unbox today’s knowledge. Love Business and marketing? Want to make a high-paid career in business administration? Well, if yes, then mate, we have got you something amazing to do!   We all imagine an effortless future with a cozy house and a laptop. Well, well! You can make this happen. Today, with this guide, we will be exploring some of the top-notch online MBA universities and institutes in the USA. Let’s get started! Why learn Online MBA from the USA? Access to More Options This online era has given a second chance to children who want to reflect on their careers while managing their hectic schedules. In this, the internet has played a very crucial in rejuvenating schools, institutes, and colleges to give the best education to students across the globe. Graduating with Less Debt Regular classes from high reputed institutes often charge heavy tuition fees. However onl

Sickening moment maskless 'Karen' COUGHS in the face of grocery store customer, then claims she doesn't have to wear a mask because she 'isn't sick'

A woman was captured on camera following a customer through a supermarket as she coughs on her after claiming she does not need a mask because she is not sick.  Video of the incident, which has garnered hundreds of thousands of views on Twitter alone, allegedly took place in a Su per Saver in Lincoln, Nebraska according to Twitter user @davenewworld_2. In it, an unidentified woman was captured dramatically coughing as she smiles saying 'Excuse me! I'm coming through' in the direction of the customer recording her. Scroll down for video An unidentified woman was captured dramatically coughing as she smiles saying 'Excuse me! I'm coming through' in the direction of a woman recording her A woman was captured on camera following a customer as she coughs on her in a supermarket without a mask on claiming she does not need one because she is not sick @chaiteabugz #karen #covid #karens #karensgonewild #karensalert #masks we were just wearing a mask at the store. ¿ o