Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk will bring back the state’s hard border with NSW from 6am tomorrow, saying too many people were lying about whether they had visited the Greater Sydney COVID-19 hotspot.
“What we are seeing is that people are now being turned around, so there will be a hard border closure which will be going in place, people started to see barricades going again this afternoon,” the Premier said today.
She said returning Queensland residents would be forced into hotel quarantine, while NSW residents would be turned back at the border.
Residents of both states who live near the border will be allowed quarantine-free entry without a border pass.
She has also asked accommodation owners to locate any guests from Sydney’s Northern Beaches and direct them to get tested for COVID-19.
“We are concerned that there are people from the Northern Beaches who have travelled right around Australia, we believe there are people here in Queensland,” she said.
“What I’m saying to accommodation providers is that if you have on your register someone who has come from the Northern Beaches, please put something under their door or talk to them about going and getting a COVID test.
NSW has confirmed a further 15 cases connected to the Avalon cluster today, with more test results expected by Wednesday.