With clarity on its target of 80 percent fully vaccinated much sooner, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has announced in a press statement that their borders will reopen to “domestic hotspots” from 1 a.m., Dec. 13, 2021.
With 78.67 percent of Queenslanders over the age of 16 fully vaccinated, Palaszczuk stated the state would open up to hotspots before the previously planned reopening set on Dec. 17.
Key Takeaways:
- Because no new community cases have been reported, Queensland’s borders will reopen to interstate COVID-19 hotspots on Monday.
- Around 78.67% of Queenslanders over the age of 16 have been fully vaccinated.
- Fully vaccinated travelers will not be needed to stay in quarantine, but they will need a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of arrival.
From the set date, fully vaccinated international entrants must be fully vaccinated and provide a negative COVID test within 72 hours of departure. Palaszczuk said nominating a time and date allows travelers and businesses to plan and arrive four days early.
Travelers from hotspots such as New South Wales, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), Greater Adelaide, and parts of the Northern Territory will be able to reach Queensland by road or air.
International travelers are also obliged to have a test on arrival and be quarantined for 14 days at home or in a hotel.
However, the press release made no mention of the number of international students who will be arriving.
While Queensland will welcome fully vaccinated travelers from interstate hotspots, it is still unclear what will happen to international students who are stranded abroad.
Greg Hunt, Australia’s health minister, previously stated that he could not promise that Australia’s border will reopen to overseas students and visa holders in mid-December.
Following concerns about the Omicron strain, the government declared on Nov. 29 that it would postpone the reopening of its borders from Dec. 1 to 15.
International students who have been given an exemption under a state or territory’s International Student Arrivals Plan will be eligible to travel to Australia.
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