Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has dismissed suggestions that travellers bound for the Sunshine State are behind the huge queues overwhelming testing sites. 9News
Ms Palaszczuk said travellers heading to Queensland comprised just 10 per cent of the queues in New South Wales."Ten percent of the line ups are for people that want to get their PCR tests to travel all around Australia, not just Queensland."She said the massive queues - which are leading to hours-long wait times and delays in results - were more likely due to the large spread of the Omicron variant in southern states.
Currently, fully-vaccinated people seeking to enter Queensland from a domestic hotspot must receive a negative COVID-19 PCR test in the 72 hours preceding their border crossing.According to travel data, of the 257,000 who arrived in Queensland since Monday, December 20 from Victoria, New South Wales and the ACT, all would have required a COVID-19 test by Friday December 17, to enter Queensland.
The total number of tests completed since that time in those states is 1,351,174, meaning 19 per cent of those tested are now in Queensland.Testing-related delays are seeing some people arrive at the Queensland border without their result. About 200 cars are being turned away every day, and other people are being forced to cancel their trips.Cars at the pop up Covid Testing Centre at Frenchs Forest Aquatic Centre Drive in Sydney..
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