Diplomatic and consular staff returning to Queensland from overseas will be banned from skipping hotel quarantine, after a Government contractor tested positive for coronavirus.
Key points:
- Queensland's consular quarantine exemption ban begins on Wednesday
- The Chief Health Officer says a returning consular contractor with COVID-19 did "nothing wrong"
- The Premier's announcement comes after her earlier suggestion Queensland could do nothing
The man in his 20s returned to Queensland from Afghanistan last week on a commercial flight via Sydney, but was given an exemption to quarantine at his home in Toowoomba.
He has since tested positive to coronavirus, sparking a public health alert for his Sydney to Sunshine Coast flight.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk had said the man was exempt from hotel quarantine because of national guidelines surrounding consulate staff.
She said the practice will be banned from Wednesday.
"Once again, Queensland will go it alone to protect Queenslanders," she said.
On Tuesday morning, Ms Palaszczuk asked Queensland police to investigate how the security contractor was given a federal exemption to bypass hotel quarantine.
She said Queensland authorities were given federal documents on a Department of Foreign Affairs letterhead, along with an exemption provided by New South Wales authorities for the man's interstate travel to Queensland.
She said she had asked Queensland police to examine whether the documents were false.
The DFAT letter, obtained by the ABC, confirmed the man was "travelling on essential Australian Government business".
DFAT denies granting exemption
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) issued a brief statement on Tuesday night disputing the suggestion it had granted the man an exemption from quarantine.
"The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade did not support an exemption application from this individual, and was unaware that it had been sought or granted," the statement said.
"DFAT expects all contracted companies and their staff to meet Australian Government requirements and we have reiterated that again to the company involved."
At the same time, Queensland's Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young was suggesting the man had done nothing wrong, but that she now wanted all overseas travellers go into mandatory hotel quarantine.
"This exemption is a problem. We've seen that in Queensland this week," Dr Young said.
"A person was able to arrive in Queensland from overseas on a consular exemption, and he had COVID-19.
"I am very grateful to this person — he did all the right things — but was granted an exemption from hotel quarantine.
"We can no longer allow this. With the high cases overseas, the risk is simply too high."
The State Government said it was New South Wales authorities who approved the man's cross-border flight into Queensland and, once here, Dr Young approved his quarantine exemption in line with national guidelines for diplomatic staff.
Tuesday evening's announcement by the Premier was in contrast to her statement earlier this week suggesting Queensland was unable to place restrictions on diplomatic staff.
"I'm not in charge of the embassies, that's the Federal Government," Ms Palaszczuk said on Monday.
"Because they're coming back from overseas, they would have a Commonwealth exemption."
Ms Palaszczuk also said she would raise the issue at national cabinet on Friday.
The new Queensland rules mean exemptions to hotel quarantine would only be granted in extenuating circumstances, in line with current restrictions for anyone entering Queensland from a COVID-19 hotspot.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiaWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDIwLTA4LTA0L2Nvcm9uYXZpcnVzLXF1ZWVuc2xhbmQtYmFuLWNvbnN1bGFyLXF1YXJhbnRpbmUtZXhlbXB0aW9ucy8xMjUyMjA2ONIBJ2h0dHBzOi8vYW1wLmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvYXJ0aWNsZS8xMjUyMjA2OA?oc=5
2020-08-04 08:33:00Z
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