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Queensland now has its most relaxed COVID rules since the beginning of the pandemic over two years ago.
Overnight, the vaccination mandate applying to a range of venues was lifted.
Anybody can now enter pubs, clubs, cafes, restaurants, casinos, cinemas, libraries, galleries, museums, stadiums and showgrounds, without needing to check-in or show proof of vaccination.
Some restrictions remain, however, in vulnerable and high-risk settings.
Only vaccinated people can visit or work at hospitals, disability accommodation services and residential aged care, but there are some exceptions for end-of-life visits, childbirth and emergency situations.
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The vaccination mandate also doesn’t apply to patients or residents of these settings.
Vaccination and check-in requirements also stand for workers in schools, childcare, prisons and airports.
Masks must also still be worn on all public transport, including taxis and rideshares, as well as in airports and on planes, and in healthcare settings.
Cairns to wind down vaccination clinics
In another first throughout the pandemic, the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service (CHHHS) will start to de-escalate its COVID-19 vaccination services.
CHHHS Executive Director COVID-19 vaccine program, Dr Don Mackie, said the high vaccination rates and the decrease in demand meant it was time to transition to a new ‘business as usual’.
“Our main COVID-19 vaccination hub at The Pier shopping centre will be temporarily closed Good Friday, Easter Monday and Tuesday 19 April to give our hardworking staff a much-deserved break,” he said.
“We will then start reducing hours at The Pier to five days a week, commencing Wednesday, 20 April, from Wednesdays through to Sundays.
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“The community will [also] soon start to see our COVID-19 vaccine clinics at our rural hospitals in Mossman, Atherton, Mareeba and Innisfail fold back into our health service, starting after Easter.
“Free COVID-19 vaccines and boosters will still be available at these locations, and also remain available through participating GPs and pharmacies.”
CHHHS’ mobile vaccination service to rural and remote areas, COVan, is also set to be discontinued by the June-July school holidays.
More than 95 per cent of Cairns and Hinterland residents aged at least 16 years have had their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while nearly 94 per cent are fully vaccinated.
61.7 per cent of the same cohort has received a booster shot.
The region currently has 153 active recorded cases, with a total of 54 deaths over the pandemic.
Main points
- Unvaccinated people can now enter pubs, cafes and other venues after the mandate was dropped overnight
- Some restrictions remain in vulnerable and high-risk settings, such as hospitals and schools
- The Cairns and Hinterland health service is also preparing to de-escalate its vaccination services
