Queensland to trial home quarantine for people returning from interstate COVID-19 hotspots - ABC News

Queensland Health is about to begin a trial of home quarantine for people looking to enter the state from COVID-19 hotspots.

Key points:

• The Queensland government is about to trial home quarantine for 1,000 residents returning home from interstate hotspots
• This follows its successful home quarantine trial involving children returning from interstate
• However, the new trial will have some strict requirements that those involved must meet

Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said authorities had been considering an expansion of home quarantine for "quite a while".

Queensland COVID-19 snapshot

In the past 24 hours:

• Locally acquired cases: 0
• Other sources: 3
• Tests: 12,829

Queensland's vaccine roll-out (percentage of those eligible):

• First dose: 68.3 per cent
• Second dose: 49.5 per cent

Latest information from Queensland Health.

"We recently … introduced quarantine for kids who are coming back home to Queensland, so we've done that and that's been very successful," Dr Young said.

She said authorities were in the process of identifying residents looking to return from interstate hotspots who were already in the Queensland Health database.

"It's got to be someone who's currently in our database who's requested an exemption to come into Queensland or a border declaration pass, so we've got their information and we're writing out to them to see if they meet the requirements," she said.

Up to 1,000 Queenslanders will be invited to participate in the trial.

The trial has an extensive list of requirements, including having had two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine and be at least two weeks after the second dose so returnees are fully protected.

"You have to have a negative test within 72 hours of arrival, you need to have a suitable home that's freestanding so you can enter and exit without going through shared space, so through corridors or shared areas with anyone else," she said.

Catch up on the main COVID-19 news from October 6 with a look back at our blog.

Jeannette Young says Queensland Health has written to people asking them to participate in the trial.(

ABC News: Alice Pavlovic

)

Dr Young said everyone in the household would have to take part in the quarantine period.

"Plus you have to be prepared to use our technology," she said.

Program participates will be monitored with an app, so they must have a smart phone to be eligible.

Some returning residents have already been notified of their eligibility via an email from Queensland Health.

The email states: "You have been identified as applying to return to Queensland as part of your exemption request and we are inviting you to participate in the trial."

It goes onto say that participants must be prepared to enter the state by air after October 11.

Dr Young said authorities were aiming to start the program next week.

To be eligible for the home quarantine trial, people need to complete an extensive suitability statement that declares the following:

• entered Queensland by air on a flight agreed with a state government agency
• adhered to the home compliance check-in service during the 14-day quarantine period
• travelled from Brisbane Airport to the nominated quarantine address at their own expense
• the nominated quarantine address:
  • must be within the Brisbane, Moreton Bay, Sunshine Coast, Noosa, Ipswich, Logan, Gold Coast or Redlands local government areas
  • must be a private residence and freestanding dwelling, with no shared common areas accessible by persons not residing at the property
  • will be stocked with groceries and other household requirements, sufficient for 14 days
• participants will not be able to receive deliveries to the private residence, except for essential medical supplies
• participants must present to a PCR drive-through testing clinic in a private vehicle on days one, five and 12 of the 14-day period

Others residing at the nominated quarantine address will have to complete the household member declarations requiring them to:

• receive at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine before the date of arrival
• ensure the private residence is stocked with groceries and other household items sufficient for the 14 days
• not receive deliveries at the residence, other than essential medical supplies
• present at a PCR drive-through testing clinic on day 12

'Win for common sense'

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli welcomed the announcement.

"This is a win for common sense," he said.

"This is a step in the right direction and, if successful, it should be rolled out as soon as possible across the entire state."

"We are all Queenslanders and I hope soon we will all be able to come safely home no matter where we live in our great state."

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https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMia2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDIxLTEwLTA2L3FsZC1jb3JvbmF2aXJ1cy1jb3ZpZC1ob21lLXF1YXJhbnRpbmUtdHJpYWwtaG90c3BvdC1yZXR1cm4vMTAwNTE5MzI20gEoaHR0cHM6Ly9hbXAuYWJjLm5ldC5hdS9hcnRpY2xlLzEwMDUxOTMyNg?oc=5

2021-10-06 08:12:33Z
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