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Hotspots declared across Queensland

Department of the Chief Minister and Cabinet

The Chief Health Officer has declared a number of hotspots across Local Government Areas in Queensland following an increase in new COVID-19 cases.

The declaration of the hotspots in the Northern Territory will coincide with a lockdown across Greater Brisbane. It comes after four new cases of community transmission in Queensland, involving the highly infectious UK variant of COVID-19.

The below Queensland Local Government Areas will declared as a COVID-19 Hotspot for the purposes of travel to the Northern Territory from 4.30pm today.

·         City of Brisbane

·         Moreton Bay Region

·         City of Ipswich

·         Logan City

·         Redland City

·         Toowoomba Region

 

Anyone entering the Northern Territory from a COVID-19 hotspot from 4.30pm today must undertake 14 days of mandatory, supervised quarantine at the Alice Springs or Howard Springs quarantine facilities at a cost of $2,500 per person. Quarantine will be undertaken at the first urban centre you arrive at.

Those people who have travelled to the Northern Territory on flights landing before 4.30pm, or who enter via road before 4.30pm, must follow existing Chief Health Officer testing directions which require those people to self-quarantine and get a COVID-19 test within 72 hours, and remain in self-quarantine until a negative test is returned. This does not include those who have just transited through Brisbane Airport.

Those people travelling by road into the NT before 11.59pm tonight will not have to pay for quarantine, but will still be required to undertake quarantine.

Those people required to get tested under CHO Directions include:

·         NEW: Those who have arrived in the Northern Territory from the Toowoomba Region between 26 March and 4.29pm today, 29 March 2021.

·         Those who have arrived in the Northern Territory from Byron Shire Council LGA in New South Wales since 27 March 2021;

·         Those who have arrived in the Northern Territory from the City of Ipswich, Logan City, Redland City, and Gladstone Region LGA’s since 25 March 2021;

·         Those who have arrived in the Northern Territory from City of Brisbane and Moreton Bay region LGA’s since 20 March 2021;

·         Those who have arrived in the Northern Territory from the City of Brisbane and Moreton Bay Region Local Government Areas between 12 March and 11.59pm on 19 March who are showing any symptoms of COVID-19.

 

If you are intending to travel to the Northern Territory from a COVID-19 hotspot you are advised to rethink your plans. If you are a Territorian intending to travel to a hotspot you are advised to rethink your plans.

Please contact the COVID-19 hotline 1800 008 002, to arrange a COVID-19 test, and to identify yourself as a person who has been in a declared hotspot before you arrived in the NT. For all other enquiries call 1800 490 484.

The Chief Health Officer will continue to review and assess the COVID-19 situation across Queensland and New South Wales and will take into account COVID-19 monitoring and data collection, the extent of community transmission and risks to the NT community.

The risk of COVID-19 in our communities cannot be eliminated which is why it is important for everyone to follow all health directions.

·         If you have COVID-19 symptoms, do not travel. Make sure you get tested and stay at home.

·         Maintain a physical distance of 1.5 metres at all times.

·         Wash your hands with soap and water and use hand sanitiser regularly.

·         Cough and sneeze into your elbow or a tissue. Put your tissue in the bin straight away.

·         Do not go to work if you feel sick.

·         If you have symptoms, stay away from others and call a doctor or the NT COVID-19 Hotline on 1800 008 002.

To stay up to date with the latest information visit www.coronavirus.nt.gov.au

 

Quotes attributable to Chief Health Officer Dr Hugh Heggie

“As the COVID-19 outbreak across Greater Brisbane continues to expand with new cases of community transmission, I have declared a number of hotspots across Queensland Local Government Areas.

“We need to act quickly and go hard and wide early to protect the health and safety of Territorians. Our actions are in line with the controls Queensland health authorities are putting in place to manage the outbreak including a lockdown. Mask wearing will be introduced and schools will be closed from tomorrow.

“Authorities in Brisbane have been working around the clock to trace these cases and their close contacts. This latest outbreak involves the highly infectious UK variant of COVID-19 so it is important we take a cautious approach and remain vigilant,.

“Declaring hotspots is never easy. We know they cause disruption but they are necessary. I would like to thank everyone who has followed my health direction to get a test. Please be patient when you call the COVID-19 hotline.

“We responded to 2600 calls yesterday and we have extended our hours of operation and increased our staffing to meet the expected demand for testing services.”

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