BRISBANE, AAP – Queensland will scrap quarantine for twice-vaccinated international travellers from 1am on Saturday.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced that almost all restrictions on vaccinated international arrivals will dumped for the first time since March 2020.
She says the date has been set as the state is set to hit a vaccination coverage target of 90 per cent double doses in coming days.
The latest figures show 91.65 per cent of eligible Queenslanders have had one dose of a vaccine, while 88.82 per cent have had two.
Ms Palaszczuk says vaccinated travellers will only have to do a rapid antigen test within 24 hours of arriving in the Queensland.
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“You will not have to do our quarantine, you are free to come in,” she said.
“We’re asking you to do a RAT test within 24 hours.
“This is consistent with other states – if national cabinet decides to change that down the track, so be it, but we do believe that now is the right time with our vaccination rates.”
The border opening comes as another 11 COVID-19 deaths were recorded in Queensland on Wednesday, taking the state’s pandemic death toll to 63.
“Any loss is a tragedy and I express my condolences on behalf of the state to the families of the loved ones who have lost their lives under such tragic circumstances,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
Queensland authorities have also recorded another 19,932 new virus cases after 41,293 tests over that period.
There are 835 people being treated for COVID-19 in Queensland hospitals and another 52 in ICU and 34 on ventilation.