The Queensland government has hinted at its plans for re-opening the state’s borders as NSW celebrates freedom day after hitting its 70 per cent vaccination target.
Health Minister Yvette D’Ath says unvaccinated Queenslanders need to get the jab within ‘five to six weeks’ to protect themselves from a surge of Delta cases as locked-down parts of Australia begin to reopen.
As of Sunday, just 70 per cent of the eligible residents in Queensland have had one dose by Sunday.
Ms D’Ath strongly hinted at a reopening timeline when asked the vaccine target for reopening the borders to virus hotspots in NSW, Victoria and the ACT.
‘The target is getting yourself protected in the next five to six weeks. That is your mission,’ she said.
Queensland Health Minister Yvette D’Ath (pictured) has hinted the state’s borders could reopen in November
‘Get yourself protected and that helps protect our whole community and allows us to open up.’
The Queensland government has not recommitted to opening the borders once vaccination coverage reaches 80 per cent – as initially agreed upon under the national Covid plan.
Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said the state has modelled reopening at 80 per cent, but she would prefer if vaccine coverage reached 95 per cent.
‘It shows that we would be stretched, of course we would be, which is why I don’t want to stop at 80 per cent,’ she said.
‘I would like to see every single Queenslander, 12 years of age or older, vaccinated. I think that’s absolutely critical.
‘The more Queenslanders who are vaccinated, the less the impact will be on our health system.’
Authorities across Australia are bracing for Covid cases to skyrocket among the unvaccinated as states begin to open up.
Ms D’Ath urged Queenslanders to make sure they are vaccinated within ‘five to six’ weeks to be protected against incoming Delta cases. Pictured: police direct motorists at the NSW/QLD border
Ms D’Ath warned the unvaccinated will still be vulnerable to catching the virus even once the majority of the population are fully-vaccinated.
‘This virus will go into every single community once Queensland and Australia opens up,’ she said.
‘If you are not vaccinated, then it doesn’t matter if we hit the 80 per cent target – you will not be protected.’
Meanwhile, Sydneysiders flocked to businesses on Monday after spending 106 days in lockdown as the state celebrates hitting its 70 per cent double dose target.
From Monday, fully-vaccinated residents can enjoy a raft of new freedoms – including travelling more than five km from home and welcoming household visitors.
Gyms, cafes, restaurants, shops, entertainment venues, and hairdressers across NSW have reopened and indoor and outdoor gatherings are now permitted, with caps of 10 and 30 people respectively.
Face masks are no longer mandatory outdoors, with the exception of hospitality workers actively serving customers, but still must be worn inside except when eating or drinking.
NSW residents hit the streets of Sydney after lockdown restrictions were eased on Monday
While Sydneysiders are no longer confined to a 5km bubble, they can only explore Greater Sydney – including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, or Shellharbour – until intrastate travel is restored at the 80 per cent vaccination rate.
This rule does not apply to regional residents who are allowed to travel intrastate – with the exception of visiting Sydney.
Further restrictions will be eased later this month once NSW hits the secondary vaccination milestone, before freedoms open up to the unvaccinated from December 1.
NSW recorded 496 new locally-acquired Covid cases on Monday and eight deaths, bringing the death toll from the latest outbreak to 439.
There were zero new local cases in Queensland on Monday after a Sydney man visited Brisbane Airport while infectious over the weekend.
The traveller did not have a correct border pass and was put into hotel quarantine before being flown back to NSW.
Authorities are not concerned there has been transmission but Brisbane Airport had been listed as a low-risk exposure site on Friday and Saturday mornings.
In the 24 hours to Monday, the state conducted 6825 tests while 21,712 vaccines were administered by Queensland Health.
So far, more than 70 per cent of eligible Queenslanders have had a first dose of a vaccine the state still lags behind most others except Western Australia.
Queensland’s Vaccine Coordinator and Deputy Police Commissioner Shane Chelepy said that was not due to hesitancy.
‘Absolutely, Queensland and WA we’ve done so well keeping COVID out of our states, I don’t think it’s necessarily hesitancy, I just think that people have become complacent,’ he told ABC Radio.
Only 70 per cent of Queenslanders had received one dose of a vaccine as of Sunday. Pictured: a health worker collects a Covid test in Brisbane earlier this month
‘We’re a bit of a victim of our own success in Queensland, but it’s not going to hold and people need to realise waiting for a vaccine is like waiting for a hailstorm to be over top of your car. It’s no good moving your car undercover once it’s damaged, it’s the same as the vaccine, we need to get out and get it now.’
Queenslanders have plenty of different vaccine options available, he said, so it’s time for people to come forward and get the jab.
The state has also kicked off a trial of home quarantine for 1000 residents, some of whom have been struck in interstate hotspots for months.
Participants must be fully vaccinated and test negative within three days of travelling to the state.
The government says home quarantine will be expanded if the trial is successful.