August 5, 2021
A second COVID-19-testing facility for truck drivers will open at the BP in Charlton, west of Toowoomba from 8:00am on Friday (August 6).
The opening of the temporary testing facility in the Toowoomba region to support freight and logistics drivers crossing the Queensland border follows the establishment of a drive-through facility at the Port of Brisbane last Friday.
Transport Minister Mark Bailey said the temporary testing sites were needed to support the mandatory testing regime that came into effect on July 30 for freight and logistics drivers coming into Queensland and working around the State.
“Mandatory testing is vital to help stop the potential spread of COVID-19 and keep essential drivers, their families and their colleagues safe,” Mr Bailey said.
“These are challenging times for everyone and the freight industry has continued to step up to meet the additional requirements that have been asked of them since the pandemic began.”
Minister Bailey said between 80 to 100 truck drivers had been tested at the Port of Brisbane site every day since it opened.
“There are also three heavy-vehicle testing sites open in Acacia Ridge, Boondall and Robina to test prime movers without trailers, light and heavy rigid trucks,” he said.
“We expect to have a third dedicated facility up and running in north Brisbane early next week.”
Heavy vehicle drivers who have entered a declared COVID-19 hotspot or affected area are required to meet testing regimes.
Mr Bailey said a class exemption was currently in place for freight and logistics operators entering Queensland with perishable goods or livestock until 1:00am on Monday (August 9).
Heavy vehicle drive-through testing locations:
- Port of Brisbane, Brisbane Multimodal Terminal, open 6:00am-5:00pm, Monday to Sunday
- BP Toowoomba Westbound Truck Stop, Warrego Highway, Charlton; open Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:00pm, weekends 8:00am-3:00pm.
Heavy vehicle-friendly testing locations:
QML Pathology can also test drivers in prime movers without trailers, light and heavy rigid trucks at the following sites:
- Acacia Ridge, 174 Mortimer Road
- Boondall, Brisbane Entertainment Centre
- Robina, corner of Scottsdale Drive and Christine Avenue
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Queensland recorded another 16 locally acquired cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, all linked to the Indooroopilly Delta cluster.
However, Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said the good news was that most had been in isolation during their infectious period.
Only four of the cases were in the community – three for one day, and one for two days – and this had been during the lockdown period when there was less chance of spreading the virus through casual contact.
Eight of the 16 new cases are aged 19 or under, meaning 52 of the total 79 cases in the cluster are children or youths.
More than 9500 people are contacts associated with the cluster, with more than 7700 in home quarantine.
There are now more than 300 exposure sites listed on the Queensland Health contact tracing webpage.
New sites at East Brisbane and The Gap were added on Thursday evening.
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