Queensland Finally Lowers the COVID‑Curfew to All Fully‑Vaccinated Travelers
After five months of “no entry” rules, Queensland finally loosened its borders on Monday, 13 Dec. The state opened its line to the south of New South Wales for anyone who’s got the vaccine sticker (and is over 16). The late‑night queue of cars—before 1 a.m.—was a small preview of how many people are eager to hit the road.
Why the Switch?
The Premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, indicated her “we’ll live with COVID…but on our own terms” stance. The switch came only after the state reached its target: 80 % of residents above 16 are fully vaccinated—just the pre‑condition for relaxing state borders.
Queensland’s New Dawn for Travel
- Qantas ready to carry 10,000 passengers in roughly 100 flights on the opening day, with most planes already booked.
- The move lands right before the school summer holidays, giving families a chance to visit relatives, enjoy parks, or just escape the city heat.
- Tourists angry about internal borders now have a new reason to smile: Brisbane’s beaches are finally accessible without a weird quarantine passport.
Nation‑Wide Border Relaxation Update
- Tasmania will reopen to other states later this week.
- Western Australia is set to reveal its plans this Monday.
- South Australia has been welcoming interstate arrivals since late November.
Despite the easing, over 228,000 Australian cases and 2,100 deaths keep the pandemic’s public health threat real. Still, only about 70 Omicron cases have been found so far—mostly around Sydney—making the country look better off compared to many other nations.
What’s Next?
Queensland’s new border policy should kiss a sore tourism sector goodbye, let’s hope, and enable families to travel rollback their “stay at home” vibes as the holidays roll in. Cheers to a more relaxed Christmas—and maybe a few extra party cake slices too!
