Queensland COVID update: Annastacia Palaszczuk could open up borders EARLY after zero new COVID-19 community cases on Sunday
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has not ruled out re-opening the border early after revealing no new COVID-19 community cases in the state.
Queensland recorded six new cases in quarantine from 8330 tests in the last 24 hours, including five interstate arrivals and a person who flew in from the Philippines via Singapore.
The state will scrap quarantine for vaccinated domestic arrivals when 80 per cent of eligible people are fully jabbed, initially expected to be December 17.
Asked when Queensland may reach their target amid speculation it will be earlier than expected, Ms Palaszczuk said she would provide an update on Monday.
“I will be updating everyone tomorrow. We will have a meeting to look at our projections and how we are going,” she said.
Ms Palaszczuk said on Sunday 87.2 per cent of eligible Queenslanders had received one jab and 78.1 per cent were fully vaccinated.
Quarantine will be scrapped for vaccinated international travellers once 90 per cent of eligible people in the state are double jabbed.
“We are looking at early to mid-January (to hit the 90 per cent target) but we will have a better idea tomorrow,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
Acting chief health officer Dr Peter Aitken said the five interstate travellers who had tested positive included two people who had arrived from Melbourne.
He said the other three were family members – all related to another positive case – who tested positive in home quarantine but have since been transferred to hospital.
Dr Aitken said none had been infectious in the community.
He said genomic testing had linked one of Queensland’s three positive cases announced on Saturday – a couple on the Gold Coast and a Capalaba woman – to another case.
Dr Aitken said a Gold Coast aged care worker had been linked to a man who travelled to Robina Town Centre last week.
However, he said they were still unsure where the Robina Town Centre man had acquired COVID-19.
Dr Aitken said all staff and 99 per cent of residents at the Gold Coast aged care centre were fully vaccinated.
There were no further cases linked to the Capalaba woman who returned from a “superspreader” event in South Australia.
Queensland Health on Saturday declared Greater Adelaide a virus hotspot.
Anyone who has been in that area since 1am on November 28 and arrives in Queensland after 1am on Sunday must be fully vaccinated and will be required to quarantine for 14 days.
People who arrive from Greater Adelaide from Monday must also have a negative PCR test in 72 hours prior to arrival and then quarantine.
Meanwhile, Dr Aitken said it was still yet to be determined if one of the four cases reported in hotel quarantine on Saturday – a traveller from South Africa – had the Omicron strain.
Latest Travel News
