Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has outlined a roadmap to reopen the state's borders to COVID-19 hotspots for fully vaccinated people by Christmas.
Key points:
- The Premier says how quickly the milestones are hit depends on vaccination roll-out
- It's predicted 80 per cent of Queensland's eligible population will be full vaccinated by December 17
- Direct international arrivals will be able to undertake 14 days home quarantine if they're vaccinated and test negative
Fully vaccinated travellers will be allowed to enter Queensland without the need to quarantine from December 17.
It comes as the state recorded zero new locally acquired COVID cases in the past 24 hours, while more than 8,000 people remain stranded interstate, having applied for border passes to enter Queensland.
Ms Palaszczuk said Queensland would begin a phased border reopening for fully vaccinated people from November 19.
She said modelling showed 80 per cent of Queenslanders could be fully vaccinated by December 17 and said if vaccine targets were reached sooner, the date could be brought forward.
But she said even if the state did not reach 80 per cent, the date was "locked in" and would not be pushed back.
"[From December 17] travellers from a designated interstate hotspot can travel by road or by air, they must be fully vaccinated, they must have a negative COVID test in the previous 72 hours and no quarantine will be required," Ms Palaszczuk said.
"That is good news for families to be reunited for Christmas."
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Ms Palaszczuk suggested if vaccine thresholds were reached sooner, the December 17 date may be brought forward.
"This is your last opportunity, your last chance to get vaccinated," Ms Palaszczuk said.
In the past 24 hours, the state conducted 5,718 tests and administered 14,920 vaccines in state-run hubs.
Currently, 72.26 per cent of Queensland residents have had one dose, and 56.58 per cent are fully vaccinated.
"We are going to try to minimise the risk, and there are key steps we're going to take along the way."
Vaccinated people from interstate hotspots can arrive from next month
The Premier said the release of the Queensland COVID vaccine plan was a cautious plan to reunite families and protect the state from the Delta strain.
"If we keep getting vaccinated we'll be able to welcome family and friends from interstate hotspots in little over a month who are fully vaccinated," Ms Palaszczuk said.
"The people coming into Queensland must be fully vaccinated."
The roadmap currently projects November 19 as the date for 70 per cent of Queensland to be fully vaccinated.
"If we reach that date sooner, we will ease the restrictions sooner," the Premier said.
"If you are coming from a declared domestic hotspot – so that's New South Wales or Victoria – in the previous 14 days, you can travel into Queensland provided that you are fully vaccinated and you arrive by air and have a negative COVID test in the previous 72 hours, and you'll have to undertake home quarantine for 14 days."
'We now have a deadline'
Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young warned the new border reopening timeframe of December 17 meant the latest people could be vaccinated, and adequately protected, was six weeks prior to that date.
"The most important thing [for] every single Queenslander aged 12 and over is to protect themselves," Dr Young said.
"Once we start seeing cases, this virus will find people who aren't vaccinated, and we now have a deadline."
Dr Young said she hoped if young people in particular get vaccinated, the border reopening date would be reached earlier.
"It's young people in that 20-to-39-year age group who probably feel you're invincible – but you're not," she said.
Dr Young said the worst-case scenario suggested the state would reach 1,200 cases a day next year.
However Dr Young said she did not believe such high numbers were likely and predicted case numbers would peak at 400 a day.
"We can cope with 400 cases and our ICUs can cope with 400 cases," Dr Young said.
Miles flags eased restrictions for the vaccinated
Deputy Premier Steven Miles also flagged changes to restrictions for the unvaccinated once 80 per cent of the state were vaccinated.
"We are also saying that after that — 17 December — when we expect to meet the 80 per cent of the eligible population double vaccinated, there will be other freedoms that are only available to people who have been vaccinated," Mr Miles said.
"We will work with industry and business but we expect that there will be some settings and venues that decide to be vaccinated only.
"And in return, they will have eased restrictions.
"If you want to continue to go to those venues and businesses that may choose to be vaccinated only, then get one now."
Health Minister Yvette D'Ath said Queensland was beginning to transition into life with the virus.
"[Our response] has put us in the best possible position to now transition to living with COVID in a safe and responsible way," Ms D'Ath said.
Ms D'Ath reiterated comments from Dr Young that the vaccination effort would especially target young people.
She cited the figure that over 584,000 people in the 20-39 year old age group remained unvaccinated in Queensland.
The government said vaccination rates in regional Queensland in particular needed to improve.
Depending on the number of cases, Ms Palaszczuk said regional lockdowns may be required.
Ms D'Ath said the number of cases would climb over coming months and would stay high for a number of months.
"The more we vaccinate, the less pressure we put on a hospital system," she said.
"We have modelled and planned for this to occur and manage our health system going forward, and our health system will manage extra people coming into hospitals and ICUs."
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Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announces COVID-19 roadmap to reopening as state records zero local cases - ABC News
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