Queensland Health has announced that COVID-19 quarantine requirements are to be removed for close contacts from 6pm on Thursday of this week (28 April).
Minister for Health, Yvette D’Ath said this was the next step towards managing COVID safely in the community.
“It will provide a much-needed boost to businesses and allow many workers to return to their jobs,” Ms D’Ath said.
She said the measures apply only to asymptomatic close contacts with close contacts who have symptoms of COVID-19 required to test and isolate until the symptoms resolve, even if they return a negative Rapid Antigen Test result.
Under the new arrangements, close contacts will need to wear masks outside their home for seven days and will need to have a negative COVID-19 test result every second day since becoming a close contact.
Ms D’Ath said close contacts who worked in a vulnerable setting would still need to meet a range of criteria, including meeting the vaccination requirements, wearing a mask at all times, being free of symptoms, and undertaking regular COVID-19 testing.
“Also from Thursday, unvaccinated travellers will be allowed to enter Queensland without having to quarantine. This will deliver a shot in the arm to our tourism industry,” the Minister said.
“We hope to see many thousands of international travellers visiting Queensland thanks to these changes.”
International arrivals, whether vaccinated or unvaccinated, will still need to return a negative COVID-19 test result within 24 hours of their arrival and will need to undertake further testing if they develop symptoms, Ms D’Ath said.
