BREAKING: Queensland to close borders to NSW and ACT as state records another coronavirus case

BREAKING: Queensland borders will close to New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory from 1am this Saturday, August 8.

All visitors will be denied entry except for rare exemptions and returning Queenslanders will have to pay for 14 days mandatory hotel quarantine.

Queensland’s Chief Health Officer has declared all of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory as hotspots.

Only residents of border communities and essential workers, such as truck drivers, will be able to cross the border.

Exemptions – including for compassionate reasons – will be limited.

Passes for border communities will be for those with proof of address and photo ID.

The border closure will be reviewed at the end of the month.

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source: ABC

New METRO SOUTH Hospital Visitor Restrictions

Changes to visitation at our facilities due to COVID-19 in ALL Metro South District Hospitals

Your safety is our highest priority.

We understand that visiting your loved ones in hospital is important, just as much as their health.

To help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and protect you, our patients and our staff, we are limiting the number of visitors to our hospitals.

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Visitor restrictions - All facilities

We ask that patients and visitors follow visiting restrictions and social distancing rules as follows:

  • each patient may have one visit per day,

  • with no more than two people per visit,

  • for a maximum visit up to two hours,

  • and to practice social distancing rules implemented by the Queensland Government.

Please avoid bringing children under 16 years of age to the hospital and ensure you wash your hands upon entry and exit of each ward or service area.

People may not visit a hospital if they:

  • have been asked to self quarantine due to travel overseas or interstate or close contact with a person who has COVID-19 in the previous 14 days

  • are unwell in any way, particularly with a fever, cough, sore throat and shortness of breath

  • are under the age of 16.


One person may remain with a patient at all times when needed for the following:

  • carers for children under the age of 18

  • carers for people with a disability

  • partner or support person when the patient is admitted for care related to the pregnancy

  • support person for emergency department or outpatient care appointments

  • additional exemptions may be granted for End-of-life support.

Wards with additional restrictions

Additional restrictions may apply for some wards. These include:

  • Emergency Department, Outpatients, Haemodialysis Unit, Transit Lounges – 1 support person

  • COVID-19 Inpatient Ward – No visitors

Maternity and neonatal visitors

  • Birth Suites – 1 support person per birth

  • Maternity Inpatient Ward – 1 visitor at a time, limit of 2 per day

  • Special Care Nursery – Parents only, one at a time. No children please

Please speak to a staff member about visits from siblings.

If you are unsure, please check with a staff member in the ward or service.

Thank you for your understanding

We understand this is not going to be an easy transition and that there will be a need for special considerations. If you feel there is a need for a special consideration, please call ahead to the hospital ward or area manager.

Facilities in Metro South Health follow directions about visiting from the Prime Minister and the Chief Health Officer.

Sometimes visitors need to be restricted further to ensure patients and residents are safe. It is important to protect our patients or residents from other illnesses including influenza or other non-COVID respiratory viruses. 

At these times, our staff work with patients, residents and family members so everyone knows how they can help keep patients safe.

Source: Metro South Health

Queensland Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update

The Alexandra Hills SmartClinics respiratory clinic is open between 8am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.

The Alexandra Hills SmartClinics respiratory clinic is open between 8am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.

The Queensland Government has reported three new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours - in addition to the 3 new cases announced yesterday - bringing the total case number to 1082.

One case recently returned from overseas and is in hotel quarantine. The other two cases recently returned from NSW and were not in a declared hotspot at the time. Both were in self-imposed quarantine since their return from NSW and now remain in isolation. There are now eleven active cases in Queensland, with five of them in hospital.

Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said that the fact that two of today’s cases and two yesterday’s cases had been in Sydney and Melbourne highlighted the importance of Queensland Health declaring hotspots in those locations.

"Today’s cases have done the right thing and remained in quarantine or self-isolation after coming back into Queensland.

"But because yesterday’s cases had been in the community and visited a number of locations for more than a week before testing confirmed they had COVID-19, anyone in Logan, South Brisbane or Springfield who has any symptoms at all should come forward, get tested and isolate themselves.

"Contact tracing for cases confirmed yesterday, 29 July 2020, is well underway. Most close contacts have been identified, contacted directly and provided with advice. Contact tracing is on-going.

"We have responded rapidly. We carried out over 1,000 tests in Metro South yesterday. This testing capacity has been expanded and will continue.

"Because one of yesterday’s confirmed case has not provided details of where they had been or who they had had close contact with, I’m asking all Queenslanders who may have had close contact with a known case, or who have any symptoms at all, to self-isolate and to get tested.

"I know some of the pop-up clinics have been really busy, and some people have had to wait to be tested, and I thank you for your patience. What you are doing is very important. You do not have to get tested at your closest pop-up clinic – if you have symptoms, you can get tested at any of them. You can also call your GP and arrange a test through them.

"If you haven’t already done so, please download the COVID-safe app and carefully consider plans to travel out of Queensland, especially to Victoria or New South Wales.

"With regard to applying for exemptions to the border or other directions, we are receiving a very large quantity of requests. I just want to make it clear that we grant very, very few exemptions, and only in unique or exceptional cases where adequate evidence of measures being put in place that ensures the safety the community has been provided.

"Effective yesterday, all aged care facilities on Brisbane’s South are not permitted to accept visitors due to the increased risk of infection. Additionally, there will be an increase in screening for COVID-19 and a limitation on staff transfers between facilities.

"We understand this is a difficult time, but the safety of Queenslanders is our top priority.

"The most important message is: Feeling sick? Stay home. Get tested."

For more information about public health directions, visit www.health.qld.gov.au