Queensland borders will close to NSW and the Australian Capital Territory from 1am this Saturday, August 8.

All visitors will be denied entry except for rare exemptions and returning Queenslanders will have to pay for 14 days mandatory hotel quarantine.

Queensland’s chief health officer has declared all of NSW and the Australian Capital Territory as hotspots.

Only residents of border communities and essential workers, such as truck drivers, will be able to cross the border.

Exemptions – including for compassionate reasons – will be limited.

Passes for border communities will be for those with proof of address and photo ID.

The border closure will be reviewed at the end of the month.

Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the border closures out Queenslanders first.

“This hard border closure puts Queenslanders first,” she said.

“The situation in Victoria hasn’t improved as we hoped and I’m not waiting for NSW to get any worse.

“I will not risk our state’s economic recovery by allowing COVID to spread.”

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