{"id":300939,"date":"2021-06-17T12:35:20","date_gmt":"2021-06-17T02:35:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=300939"},"modified":"2021-06-18T13:39:36","modified_gmt":"2021-06-18T03:39:36","slug":"qld-unveils-new-border-rules","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2021\/06\/17\/qld-unveils-new-border-rules\/","title":{"rendered":"Qld Unveils New Border Rules"},"content":{"rendered":"

June 17, 2021<\/strong><\/p>\n

Anyone entering Queensland – from interstate or New Zealand – will need to make an online travel declaration from 1:00am on Saturday (June 19).<\/p>\n

Health Minister Yvette D\u2019Ath said the new requirement, announced on Thursday, would support contact tracing efforts.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s vital that if\u00a0an interstate exposure site or hotspot is declared, our health experts can quickly contact\u00a0anyone who has travelled into Queensland\u00a0from that area,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the next line of defence for Queensland. If we\u2019re able to reach people quickly, it will reduce the risk of COVID-19 in Queensland and manage outbreaks right from the get-go.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe declaration is made online and is quick and easy, taking only a few minutes to complete, and operates in a similar fashion to the Victorian system.\u201d<\/p>\n

Queensland will introduce green, amber and red areas.<\/p>\n

Green means no travel restrictions, amber signifies interstate exposure venues, and red alerts mean a hotspot.<\/p>\n

Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said the declaration would need to be made up to 72 hours prior to travelling to Queensland.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe travel declaration needs to be made close to your travel, to ensure it reflects the most up-to-date advice,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThings can change quickly with COVID-19. We\u2019ve seen it time and time again, especially with the evolving situation in Victoria, so travellers will need to check the latest restrictions before travelling.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr Young said a cross-border zone would be re-established so those living close to the QLD-NSW border would not need to complete multiple travel declarations.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know there are a number of people living close to the Queensland border who either work or access important services regularly in Queensland or in northern NSW,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to ensure they can continue to do that without making a declaration each time they cross the border, so we\u2019ve established a border zone to cater for those situations.\u201d<\/p>\n