At 0100 hrs 8 August, Border Restrictions Direction (No 11) will come into effect.
All of Victoria, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory will now be COVID-19 hotspots.
The tightening of restrictions means people who have been in a COVID-19 hotspot within the last 14 days will no longer be able to quarantine in Queensland and will be turned away at our border.
This applies to everyone who has been in a COVID-19 hotspot in the past 14 days, except people needed in Queensland for essential activities.
Queensland residents who have been in a COVID-19 hotspot can also return home but will be required to quarantine in government provided accommodation at their expense. You will only be allowed to enter Queensland from a hotspot if you travel by air – you cannot travel by road or boat.
Further information is available on the Queensland Health website.
Superyachts
The Queensland Government is still welcoming superyachts to Queensland shores. MSQ recognises the valuable contribution the superyacht industry makes to Queensland’s economy.
Superyachts arriving from overseas are required to quarantine for 14 days upon point of entry into Queensland. Time at sea does not automatically count towards quarantine time.
However, owners/operators may apply for an exemption to Queensland’s Chief Health Officer to:
- Be exempt from quarantine, where at least 14 days has been spent at sea since last international port; or
- Serve quarantine of any remaining balance of 14 days onboard the vessel upon arrival, where less than 14 days has been spent at sea since last international port.
Any request for exemption must include sufficient information to support the request, which may include (but is not limited to):
- Proof of last international port (both location and departure date).
- Evidence that no person has boarded or disembarked the vessel since last international port.
- Show that social distancing and good hygiene have been/can continue to be maintained.
- Prove that risk of COVID-19 transmission can be effectively mitigated (e.g. COVID-19 Safe Plan).
- If applying to quarantine on board the vessel: evidence that nobody onboard will disembark or onboard the vessel during quarantine (e.g. sufficient provisions on board to support quarantine period).
Queensland’s Chief Health Officer will consider superyacht quarantine exemption applications on a case by case basis. MSQ encourages superyacht owners/operators to apply for an exemption well in advance of arrival in Queensland, to ensure enough time for any exemption request to be considered.
In the past week, MSQ has worked directly with Queensland Health to negotiate exemptions from quarantine requirements for two superyachts arriving from overseas. Both exemptions were granted in recognition of the extensive time already spent at sea.
