QLD border pass needed for all travellers, border remains shut to Melbourne

Anyone travelling to Queensland from any state or territory or New Zealand will be required to complete a Queensland Travel Declaration before entering the state.

The new rules will kick in at 1:00am on Saturday, 19 June.

The Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said, “new cases of COVID-19 are emerging in New South Wales and Victoria, and this step is a sensible measure to keep Queenslanders safe.”

Residents of border communities will be exempt with a border zone to be established. 

Travel restrictions will also remain in place for Greater Melbourne while the Premier has advised against travel to Sydney, throwing school holiday plans into chaos.

“In line with other jurisdictions, we will maintain restrictions on travel from Greater Melbourne for another seven days, and we strongly advise those planning travel to Greater Sydney to reconsider,” she said.

Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Yvette D’Ath said the new border declaration requirement would support contact tracing efforts.

“It’s vital that if an interstate exposure site or hotspot is declared, our health experts can quickly contact anyone who has travelled into Queensland from that area,” she said.

“The 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.”

Queensland will also introduce green, amber and red areas, where green means no travel restrictions, amber signifies interstate exposure venues, and red alerts to a hotspot.

It comes as two local COVID-19 cases were recorded in Sydney on Wednesday putting New South Wales on alert.

A man in his 60s who works as a driver transporting international aircrew and his close household contact tested positive.

The New South Wales Health Department has begun publishing exposure sites.

Anyone in Queensland who has been to one of these declared COVID-19 exposure sites during the risk period specified is automatically required to quarantine.

Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said the Interstate Exposure Venues Direction would apply to people in Queensland who had been to any of these locations.

"We will be closely monitoring the situation in NSW over coming days," Dr Young said.

"It’s important that anyone who has been to these venues in Sydney follow the advice of NSW Health, and not travel.

"If you have been to any of these sites and are already in Queensland, you must immediately travel by private transport directly to your home or accommodation and quarantine.

"You also need to complete the Queensland Health online contact tracing self-assessment form, get tested as soon as possible tomorrow morning, and await advice from Queensland Health,” she said.