Queensland – COVID Restrictions Update

To protect the health of Queenslanders there have been some additional restrictions put in place for some parts of Queensland.

From 6am AEST Friday 16 July (until 6am AEST Friday 23 July):

• restrictions will ease for Townsville (including Magnetic Island) and Palm Island – restrictions will be the same as for the rest of Queensland for these areas.
• restrictions for South East Queensland will continue for a further 7 days – face mask and gathering restrictions, including visitor restrictions for vulnerable person facilities (hospitals, residential aged care facilities and disability accommodation services), will continue to apply.

The impacted areas of South East Queensland include:

• City of Brisbane
• Moreton Bay Regional Council
• City of Gold Coast
• City of Ipswich
• Lockyer Valley Regional Council
• Logan City
• Noosa Shire Council
• Redland City
• Scenic Rim Regional Council
• Somerset Regional Council
• Sunshine Coast Regional Council

Movement and gathering

Impacted areas

If you are currently in an impacted area you can leave your home for any purpose. However, you must continue to wear a face mask wherever you go to within Queensland. You can travel anywhere in Australia. Please note other states and territories may have restrictions in place that prevent you from travelling to them.

You can have 30 people gather in your home, non-residences and outdoor settings. This number includes those who live with you.

Businesses and events

Impacted areas

The following businesses and activities in the impacted areas must follow the below restrictions:

• All businesses must have one person per 4 square metres on their premises indoors, one person per 2 square metres outdoors, or 100 per cent capacity with ticketed and allocated seating.
• Businesses with an indoor floor space of less than 200 square metres can have one person per 2 square metres, up to 50 people at a time.
• COVID Safe Checklists for impacted areas have been developed. Where a business is operating under a COVID Safe Plan or Checklist that refers to a requirement that is different to this Direction, the business must follow the requirements outlined in this Direction.
• Restaurants and cafes must have seated eating and drinking, no standing allowed. Contact details must also be collected for takeaway customers in an impacted area.
• Wedding ceremonies are allowed 100 people and limited to 20 people dancing at any one time.
• Funerals are allowed 100 people.
• Dancing is not allowed except at weddings (for 20 guests at a time) and dance studios or dance classes.
• The capacity of outdoor stadiums and amphitheatres is 100 per cent with ticketed and allocated seating.
• The capacity of indoor concert venues and theatres is 100 per cent with ticketed and allocated seating or one person per 4 square metres.

Face masks

If you have been in South East Queensland since 1am AEST 29 June 2021, you must carry a face mask with you at all times, unless 14 days have passed since you were last in the area. You must wear a face mask at all times when you are outside your home, unless:

• you are alone in your car or with the members of your household
• you are eating or drinking
• you are at your usual workplace and can physically distance from others (except if you work in a hospitality venue or are a passenger transport operator)
• you are alone outdoors or with members of your household
• it is unsafe.

There are some other exceptions to wearing face masks, including for children under 12 and people with particular medical conditions or disabilities. If in doubt, wear a face mask.

Restrictions for Impacted Areas Direction (No. 9)

Restrictions for rest of Queensland

• All indoor settings: one person per 2 square metres, or 100 per cent capacity with ticketed and allocated seating
• Private gatherings indoors: limited to a maximum of 100 people
• Indoor wedding ceremonies and funerals: 1 person per 2 square metres or 200 people or 100 per cent capacity with ticketed and allocated seating (whichever is greater).

For more information about restrictions for the rest of Queensland see Going out, travel, recreation and gathering in Queensland and Businesses, activities and undertakings.

Note from Employsure

The above is a general guide to the restrictions in Queensland. For official and detailed information, please visit the Queensland Government’s Covid website. If you need further information on how these restrictions impact your workplace as an employer, please get in touch with our advice line or, if you are not a client, we can assist you with free, initial advice on 1300 207 182.