'I was ridiculed': Premier hits out amid concern over international travel rule
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has hit back at critics of her state’s border policy which details how travellers will be able to enter the sunshine state ahead of the holidays.
The state revealed its roadmap for reopening borders on Monday.
Unfortunately, it’s bad news for anyone wanting to travel overseas or enter Queensland from abroad with quarantine required unless the state hits 90 per cent of its eligible population with two doses of coronavirus vaccine.
Ms Palaszczuk told Nine’s Today Show on Tuesday she was "ridiculed" for wanting Queensland to reach 90 per cent. Queensland has only 56.9 per cent of its eligible population fully vaccinated according to Operation Covid Shield.
"My ministers are out there and I am encouraging the Federal Government to do the same to go out there and encourage people to get the vaccine because the virus will come into Queensland. It is inevitable," she told the program.
"It is only a matter of time and the best way for protection is that vaccine level and I was ridiculed when I said I would like to see 90 per cent."
The premier was also asked why overseas travellers, who are fully vaccinated, are being treated differently under the plan to domestic fully vaccinated travellers. Domestic travellers can home quarantine in Queensland at 70 per cent and won’t require any form of quarantine at 80 per cent.
“I think the issue is initially about where you are coming from overseas and what are the outbreaks like over there,” she said.
“And don't forget you can pick it up going through the airports, and we know that hotel quarantine has been a really good line of defence. We will move with the National Cabinet on this issue and New South Wales was supposed to have a trial, so let's see how that trial goes.”
The trial Ms Palaszczuk is referring to is one in NSW which involves seven-day home quarantine for a select group of overseas arrivals.
No home quarantine in Qld apartments
Deputy Premier Steven Miles told ABC Radio National on Tuesday morning under the 70 per cent target anyone home quarantining in Queensland will not be able to do so in an apartment building.
“The risk of course of mingling through corridors in apartment buildings is significant,” Mr Miles told the the ABC.
“Most Queenslanders do live in free-standing homes but obviously there are people who won’t be able to access home quarantine under these conditions.”
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Mr Miles was asked if the Queensland Government was considering changing the rule to which he replied: “Not until we hit the 80 per cent threshold”.
On Twitter, people questioned the decision about home quarantine in unit blocks.
One man called it “another out of touch idea”.
“Governments just can't keep things simple can they?” another man tweeted.
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