Queensland’s chief health officer can no longer order the state’s borders shut, cities locked down or vaccines mandated for the general public in response to COVID-19.
State parliament passed laws on Wednesday to repeal most of the emergency powers granted in March 2020 that were due to expire on October 31.
The state’s chief health officer, John Gerrard, can no longer order the closure of Queensland’s domestic borders or a lockdown, nor mandate quarantine for arrivals or vaccination for the general public.
However, he will be able to order COVID-19 cases to isolate and close contacts to quarantine, and mandate face masks and vaccination in health facilities for another 12 months.
Health Minister Yvette D’Ath says she hopes the official won’t need to exercise any of those powers to contain the virus.
“Hopefully the risks will stay low and we won’t need to activate any of the protective measures in the bill over the next 12 months,” she told parliament on Wednesday.
“But this is not guaranteed, we cannot simply ignore the risks of COVID and expect the virus to be managed without the controlled scaling down of measures.”
Under the new laws, the chief health officer will be able to order people who test positive for COVID-19 to isolate, and those with symptoms to quarantine in one place for up to seven days.
Face mask and vaccination mandates remain able to be enforced in hospitals, disability and other high-risk health settings.
The Queensland Corrective Services commissioner will also have the power to mandate face masks and vaccination for staff and visitors in detention facilities for the next 12 months.
People who fail to comply with these directions face fines of up to $14,375 under the new laws.
© AAP 2022
