Queensland has seen its Covid case numbers more than double to 186 as Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk extends her mask mandate further and furiously denies the state’s testing policy is causing massive queues across Australia.
The dramatic case spike is a pivotal moment for the Sunshine State which now must come to terms with infection numbers in the triple digits for the first time since the pandemic began.
In a major shift, Ms Palaszczuk also announced that masks will become compulsory for hospitality workers from 5am on Thursday, December 23. The mandate will apply to people working at restaurants, theatres and cinemas.
Meanwhile, as state reports a massive rush of more than 200,000 to the borders ahead of Christmas, Ms Palaszczuk on Wednesday was forced to defend her requirement for travellers coming to the state get a PCR test within 72 hours of arrival.
One reporter accused Ms Palaszczuk of ‘holding the nation to ransom’ with the testing requirements – which has fuelled massive queues across the country.
Ms Palaszczuk fired back that the reporter was wrong – claiming just 10 per cent of queues in NSW were for people who want to get their PCR tests for Queensland.
”I spoke to the NSW Premier and we had a good conversation,’ she said.
‘Our information is 10 per cent of their tests are for people wanting to come into Queensland, not 80 or 90 per cent.
Ms Palaszczuk claimed she had data to back up the claim.
‘It’s frustrating for people in NSW because there are so many people getting tested, because the variant, Omicron, is rampant in NSW,’ she said.
‘And guess what, I don’t want it rampant in Queensland. I want Queenslanders to have a good, safe New Year.
‘Everybody knew our plan. You were all here… and everyone accepted it. We’re going around in circles now.
‘I’m not going to discuss this any further because we’re going to discuss it at national cabinet.’
She addressed the issue of rapid antigen tests being used to help reduce the waiting times for PCR tests to come into the state.
‘We are happy to get some further advice from AHPPC about rapid antigen tests.
‘We will look at whether this is approved and that we may be legalise them in the New Year from 1 January but between now and the New Year, we will require those PCR tests for people coming into the state.’
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk also announced that masks will become compulsory for hospitality workers
Visitors arrive at Brisbane Airport from interstate. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk revealed 257,000 people had crossed the border from NSW, Victoria, NSW and the ACT since last Monday
Ms Palaszczuk said she did not agree that Queensland would need to restrict people coming into the state.
‘I don’t think that’s a case at all. As soon as the rapid antigen tests can be approved by AHPPC, we can put them in place by 1 January,’ she replied.
The state has watched Covid cases steadily rise since it reopened its border to interstate travellers on December 13.
On that date the state recorded one new locally acquired case and another nine in hotel quarantine.
Yesterday it recorded 86 new cases, including 61 of the Omicron variant.
Ms Palaszczuk revealed 257,000 people had crossed the border from NSW, Victoria, NSW and the ACT since last Monday.
Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said yesterday 225,000 people had so far applied for border passes to enter Queensland from other states.
Queensland’s requirement that travellers arriving from interstate Covid hotspots produce a negative PCR test 72 hours before they arrive has placed considerable pressure on testing facilities in other states.
Long queues at testing facilities in Sydney, in particular, and delays in getting results back from pathology labs is causing travellers stress in timing the test with their entry to Queensland.
‘We had PCR on 20th December around 11am and got result today around 12:30pm. We have to fly from Sydney to Sunshine Coast on 23rd December 6:30pm,’ one Queensland resident returning from Sydney posted in the Facebook group Border Closure Updates NSW/Qld.
‘Is that ok to travel or should I change my ticket and try to fly Wednesday 22nd when it comes to 72 hours PCR rule?’
Long queues are seen as people wait to receive a Covid test at a drive through testing facility at Macquarie Park, in Sydney. Queensland’s requirement of a PCR test within 72 hours of a traveller arriving in the state has been blamed for adding pressure to testing facilities in NSW and Victoria
Those needing a negative result by Christmas Day would need to be tested by Wednesday morning, with NSW Health warning those expecting a result for their sample could be waiting up to 72 hours for a result, rather than the standard 48 hours.
Channel 7 reporter Chris Reason tweeted on Wednesday morning that he had not been checked for Covid requirements on arrival at Brisbane Airport, despite possessing the necessary paperwork.
In NSW, more than 426,000 residents have showed up at PCR Covid testing centres since Friday – including 137,000 in the 24 hours to Monday night alone.
Huge queues of cars have also formed at mobile testing sites at Brisbane and on the Gold Coast.
Commissioner Carroll said at yesterday’s Covid update that a number of travellers were arriving at the border without a valid negative PCR test.
‘We are seeing people actually flout this at the moment so the strong message is if you don’t have that negative PCR test, you will be turned around,’ she said.
‘We have taken a compassionate approach in extreme cases, placing people in quarantine, however, we are seeing people not making a genuine effort to get the PCR test and wait for that required period to get the test back and come into Queensland.’
She confirmed 325 cars had been turned around in the previous 24 hours, of the 36,271 vehicles that crossed the border.
Channel 7 reporter Chris Reason tweeted he had not been checked for Covid requirements on arrival at Brisbane Airport
The requirement of the PCR test is expected to be dropped once Queensland reaches 90 per cent of its eligible population fully vaccinated. That mark is expected to be reached during the first half of January.
Currently 84 per cent of eligible Queenslanders are fully vaccinated.
Fears of being forced into quarantine or caught in a snap lockdown is also causing travellers to think twice about plans to holiday in the Sunshine State.
Deputy Premier Steven Miles said yesterday that the 72-hour requirement for the lab test would not be extended.
Visitors to Queensland are also expected to get another PCR test on day five of their stay.
Mr Miles and Chief Health Officer Dr John Gerrard said yesterday that compliance with the day five test was not being monitored, but Mr Miles defended its place within border pass requirements.
‘It’s not unreasonable for Queenslanders to expect that people coming to our state meet the requirements of their border pass,’ Mr Miles said.
‘It wasn’t that long ago these people couldn’t come to Queensland at all.
‘Now they can and they’re coming to Queensland in their hundreds and thousands and one of the measures we’ve put in place to keep Queenslanders safe is that PCR test.’
Deakin University Chair in Epidemiology, Professor Catherine Bennett, told Daily Mail Australia states needed to shift away from requiring interstate travellers to test before departure.
‘The issue we have is the longer the wait times are, the less immediate the result,’ she said.
‘Unless you then isolate until Christmas Day, the test would only tell you what you have today – not in a few days time.’
She said the long queues of Covid-free Australians waiting for a test were taking away capacity for those who were sick and may actually have the virus.
‘It’s overloading our testing system – we have to find other ways to manage the borders,’ she said.
From today double vaccinated close contacts of positive Covid cases will have to isolate for seven days, rather than 14 days, in Queensland.
Those people will need to return a negative PCR test on day zero and day five of the quarantine period, Chief Health Officer Dr John Gerrard said yesterday.
‘This is consistent with the national guidelines,’ he said.
Ms Palaszczuk said on Wednesday that the state will maintain vaccination hub numbers across the Christmas and New Year period.
‘Queensland has 23 vaccination locations operating over the Christmas break,’ she said.
‘There are GPs at pharmacies. We will have the same number of hubs that have been operating during this pandemic, so there may be some reports and in other states of vaccination hubs closing but if we do have some that are scaled-down, will put extra ones out in different areas.’