The Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Partnerships says restrictions for Queensland’s remote Indigenous communities have been eased to permit residents to travel in and around their local districts.
The Department said Stage Two of the three-stage Roadmap to Easing Access Restrictions for Queensland’s Remote Communities meant people living in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities — plus the Burke and Cook Shires — could now travel throughout the declared travel zones set by Queensland’s Chief Health Officer.
“Designated communities now fall under the direction of the Chief Health Officer, rather than the emergency provisions of the Biosecurity Act 2015 that were put in place by the Australian Government to limit the spread of COVID-19,” the Department said.
Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships, Craig Crawford said the Government had worked with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership, including mayors in remote communities, to develop the plan to safely ease restrictions in communities.
“The Government has listened to health experts, local leaders and community advocates and worked with the Federal Government to transition from Federal emergency biosecurity restrictions to more flexible State-based arrangements,” Mr Crawford said.
He said that from 10 July, the Chief Health Officer would consider moving communities to Stage Three, which removed all travel restrictions including entry and quarantine requirements and applied the same provisions as for all Queenslanders.
The Minister said the criteria for Stage Three included no confirmed COVID-19 cases in a community, an appropriate testing regime and a clear rapid response framework in place.
Mr Crawford said decisions about when to move to Stage Three would be on the basis of health advice in consultation with local leadership.
