Coronavirus (COVID-19): Public Health Directions December 2020

There has been an increase in the number of Coronavirus COVID-19 cases in New South Wales.

In response to this, the Queensland Government has made changes to the Queensland Public Health Directions.

These changes mean that from 1am on 19 December Border Restrictions are now in place in Queensland.

The Queensland border is now closed to anyone who has been in a COVID-19 hotspot in the last 14 days or since the hotspot was declared.

This also means that a person who has been in a hotspot in the last 14 days, must not enter a shared disability accommodation service in Queensland.

The Queensland Government has declared the following areas in Greater Sydney, New South Wales, a hot spot:

LGAs declared hotspots in New South Wales:

• Bayside
• Blacktown
• Blue Mountains
• Burwood
• Camden
• Campbelltown
• Canada Bay
• Canterbury-Bankstown
• Central Coast
• City of Sydney
• Cumberland
• Fairfield

• Georges River
• Hawkesbury
• Hornsby
• Hunter’s Hill
• Inner West
• Ku-ring-gai
• Lane Cove
• Liverpool
• Mosman
• North Sydney
• Northern Beaches
• Parramatta
• Penrith

• Randwick
• Ryde
• Strathfield
• Sutherland
• The Hills
• Waverley
• Willoughby
• Wollondilly
• Wollongong
• Woollahra
• Sydney Harbour (unincorporated)

You must not enter or remain on the premises of a shared disability accommodation service if:

• In the last 14 days, you have returned from overseas travel.
• In the last 14 days, you have visited a COVID-19 hotspot.
• In the last 14 days you have had been in contact with a person who has a confirmed case of COVID-19.
• You have a temperature equal to or higher than 37.5 degrees or symptoms consistent with COVID-19.
• You have been tested for COVID-19 and have not yet received the results of that test.

If you have NOT been in a hotspot in the last 14 days you may still enter shared disability accommodation, but you must do the following:

• Keep a physical distance from other people in the shared accommodation service.
• Take steps to keep yourself safe for e.g. use hand sanitiser and/or wear a mask.
• Provide the service with your correct contact information for contact tracing.

If you need to enter shared disability accommodation for an end of life visit and you have recently visited a COVI-19 hotspot, have been in contact with someone that has COVID-19, have tested positive to COVID-19 or are waiting on a COVID-19 test, you must apply to be granted an exemption by the Chief Health Officer, Deputy Chief Health Officer or delegate for an end of life visit under the Public Health Direction.

If you are a shared disability accommodation service provider, you can find full details of the changes to the health directions by clicking here.

To keep up to date with Public Health Directions as they change and are updated via Queensland Health website click here.

Anyone can call 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84) for health advice or information or you can visit the QLD Government health and wellbeing COVID-19 website

If you have serious symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, immediately call 000 and ask for an ambulance.

If you require translating or interpreting services, call 131 450.

To read about COVID-19 symptoms compared to cold or flu symptoms visit Queensland Health’s website