Queensland will close its border to Sydney residents from 1am on Saturday, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has announced.
The Premier said a full list of the Sydney areas to be affected by the border closure would shortly be published by the Queensland Government, but it is understood to include all 34 local government areas of Sydney.
“We are acting swiftly and that is exactly what we have been prepared for,” the Premier said.
She said Queenslanders returning from Sydney would need to enter two weeks of self-funded hotel quarantine.
“Now is not the time for Queenslanders to be going to Greater Sydney.”
“Now is not the time for Queenslanders to be going to Victoria and that’s why we have that border closure with Victoria.”
The Premier said “time would tell” if COVID-19 had spread further than the two cases confirmed in the state today.
Two 19-year-old Queensland women have tested positive to coronavirus after returning to the state from Victoria, via Sydney, a week ago.
One is a staff member of Parklands Christian College, south of Brisbane, where another staff member has tested positive to the virus.
It’s been reported that the pair gave “misleading information” to authorities upon their return to Queensland and have spent eight days within Logan and Brisbane’s Southside communities while infectious.
“Let me say I am absolutely furious that this has happened,” the Premier said.
“That these two people have gone to Victoria and come back and given authorities misleading information.”
Queensland Police have confirmed a criminal investigation is now underway into how the women returned to the state without entering mandatory quarantine.
