The South East Queensland three day lockdown, from 4pm Saturday 31 July to 4pm Tuesday 3 August 2021, will have implications for schools in the border region.
The lockdown includes the areas of: City of Brisbane; City of Gold Coast; City of Ipswich; Lockyer Valley Regional Council; Logan City; Moreton Bay Region; Noosa Shire Council; Redland City; Scenic Rim Regional Council; Somerset Regional Council, and; Sunshine Coast Regional Council.
Anyone who has been in these areas at or since 1am AEST 31 July and the members of their household must follow all restrictions listed on the Queensland Health website, including stay-at-home orders to only leave your home (which includes temporary accommodation such as a holiday rental) for essential purposes:
- Obtaining essential goods or services, including healthcare
- Exercising in your local area – it can only be within 10km of your home, and within 10km of your personal trainer’s home if you are exercising with a personal trainer
- Attending essential work or school and childcare for the children of essential workers or vulnerable children
- Assisting a vulnerable person or family member
- Obtaining a COVID-19 test or vaccination
And, staying within 10km of your home whenever possible but you can go further to achieve a permitted purpose. Exercise must only be performed within 10km of your home.
This means if you live in a locked down area you can only leave your residence to:
- shop for essentials, food and other necessary supplies – remember to check in using the Check in Qld app
- obtain medical or healthcare services
- get a COVID-19 test
- get a scheduled COVID-19 vaccination
- exercise within a 10km radius of your home, and with no more than one person from outside your household, who is no more than 10km from their home. Recreational boating is not permitted.
NSW border area schools
The Principal of a local school says he has sought advice from the Department of Education over the weekend to clarify what the implications for the QLD lockdown are for staff attending work, particularly those who live in Queensland.
Mullumbimby High Principal Greg Armstrong says he is still waiting for that advice and waiting for clarity from NSW Health.
In a newsletter to parents, Mr Armstrong said there will also an impact on our students and their families who have been across the border since Wednesday, including our Girls’ Futsal team. ‘This is an evolving situation – I will confirm the information I receive later today with you all.’
NSW Health advice
NSW Health have issued advice which requires anyone who was in Queensland since Wednesday July 21 to self isolate for 14 days. However, it also states that people will only be permitted to leave their places of residence with a reasonable excuse, being shopping, medical care, caregiving, outdoor exercise with a member of your household or one other person, and work or education, if you cannot do it from home.
Anyone in NSW who has been in any of the 11 affected local government areas (LGAs) in Queensland since Wednesday 21 July, must, from 6pm Saturday, 31 July, stay at home and only leave their residence with a reasonable excuse.
Anyone already in NSW who has been in any of the 11 affected LGAs in Queensland since Wednesday 21 July must only leave their home or temporary residence in NSW with a reasonable excuse. Anyone arriving in NSW must complete a declaration and then travel directly to their accommodation and only leave with a reasonable excuse. A person must comply with the stay at home rules for 14 days since they were last in an affected LGA, or until the notice is revoked.
Additionally, NSW Health are asking that everyone who is living in the same residence as a person who has been in one of the 11 LGAs to also follow the stay at home rules and to only leave home with a reasonable excuse.
People will only be permitted to leave their places of residence with a reasonable excuse, being shopping, medical care, caregiving, outdoor exercise with a member of your household or one other person, and work or education, if you cannot do it from home.
People subject to the stay-at-home measures in Queensland should not be travelling to NSW unless they are permitted to do so.
People who have been in one of the 11 Queensland LGAs must continue to comply with all other public health requirements in place in NSW, including the restrictions in Greater Sydney.
Anyone arriving from Queensland, regardless of whether they’ve been in the 11 affected LGAs or not, must fill out a declaration form.
The declaration form is available on the Service NSW website, and can be completed in the 24-hour period before entering NSW or on arrival. The information gathered via the travel declarations is vital in allowing NSW Health to contact travellers if necessary. For more information, visit: https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/complete-nsw-entry-declaration-queensland
People entering NSW who have been in Victoria or South Australia in the last 14 days must complete a declaration form. The stay-at-home requirement no longer applies to people arriving from these states. However, they are still subject to the restrictions in place in NSW.
Mr Armstrong said he would message again when he receives any updates.
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