Queensland Health will declare the City of Whittlesea local government area a COVID-19 hotspot, as Victoria's cluster grows to nine cases.
Queensland's Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said the additional cases announced this afternoon meant there was a need to take action.
The following new measures are being put in place:
- From 1am Wednesday 26 May – anyone arriving into Queensland who has been in the City of Whittlesea local government area since May 11 will go into hotel quarantine unless they have a valid exemption,
- From 1am Thursday 27 May – everyone arriving from Victoria will be required to complete a border pass. Anyone of those arrivals who have been in the City of Whittlesea local government area since May 11 and are a non-resident will be turned away unless they have an exemption to enter the state. Queensland residents or those given an exemption to enter the state will go into hotel quarantine.
Yesterday Queensland Health announced that from 1am Wednesday 26 May anyone who has been in a declared venue of concern associated with the Victorian outbreak will be placed into hotel quarantine unless they have an exemption.
Dr Young said restrictions will also apply to the state's prisons, aged care facilities, disability accommodation services and hospitals.
"From 1am tomorrow (Wednesday May 26), anyone who has been in Greater Melbourne on or after 11 May cannot enter these facilities unless 14 days have passed since they were there," she said. Exemptions can be requested on compassionate grounds.
Dr Young said Queensland will continue to monitor the situation.
"Acting quickly matters," she said.
"These situations are always evolving, but we know the next few days are critical in suppressing the risk of the virus spreading.
"Further restrictions may be required," Dr Young said.
Dr Young reminded anyone who had been to a declared COVID-19 exposure site in Victoria during the risk period must get tested and quarantine.
"Anyone who is planning to visit Victoria, in particular Greater Melbourne, should reconsider their need to travel."
Queensland's COVID-19 total is currently 1,607. There are 16 active cases.
Two new cases have been reported today. Both were overseas acquired and detected in hotel quarantine.
For a list of Victorian exposure sites, visit www.health.qld.gov.au/tracing.
