Toowoomba facility proceeds, even though quarantine on way out
The Queensland government will forge ahead with its COVID-19 quarantine camp near Toowoomba, despite reports the federal government wants to scale down a facility being built in Brisbane.
The Palaszczuk government says the 1000-bed quarantine facility for Toowoomba will go ahead. (Photo; ABC)
The state is building a 1000-bed facility at Wellcamp, while the federal government is building another 1000-bed quarantine camp in Brisbane, like similar camps in Melbourne and Perth.
However the federal government is considering downsizing those facilities as states progressively open their international borders, according to News Corp.
Queensland Agriculture Minister Mark Furner said the state-funded facility at Wellcamp will be needed for foreign and unvaccinated travellers for the foreseeable future and there’s no plans to scale it down.
“I understand that our plan is still on track for 1000-bed facility by around March-April next year,” he told reporters on Tuesday.
“Once again, you only need to look at the fast track of how this facility has been built, we’re well on track to achieve that.”
Meanwhile, the state’s vaccination continues as it prepares to open home quarantine to all fully-vaccinated domestic arrivals who test negative when 70 per cent of eligible Queenslanders are vaccinated on November 19.
Quarantine will be scrapped for all domestic arrivals when 80 per cent of eligible Queenslanders are fully vaccinated, or December 17 at the latest.
Almost 78 per cent of eligible Queenslanders have had one jab and 64.1 per cent are fully vaccinated.
Queensland Health will set up a special pop-up vaccination clinic after up to six people were ultra-low dosed with the Pfizer vaccine in error at clinic at Flagstone in southern Logan on Saturday.
The mistake means any of 175 people who were vaccinated at the clinic that day may not have been given enough vaccine to give them immunity.
Metro South Health’s Dr Michael Cleary apologised for the error and said it was detected following the conclusion of the pop-up clinic as part of the due diligence process.
“I apologise for any distress this has caused to those 175 people and their families. We will, of course, be supporting every single person impacted,” Dr Cleary said.
Queensland police have also fined a Gold Coast man who tested positive two weeks ago over a border breach.
The 36-year-old Broadbeach man was slapped with a $4135 fine for failing to comply with border directions.
He allegedly visited Victoria and NSW before parking his vehicle at Tweed Heads and walking across the Queensland border about 5.40pm on October 15.
Gold Coast police said the man did not have a border pass to enter the state.
