Emails will go out to people in the queue for a border pass,telling them to make their online application through the new system.Credit:Photo:Dan Peled
A spokeswoman for Brisbane Airport Corporation confirmed it had not seen any rise in bookings following the announcements on Monday,and it had not seen extra flights being put on.
The one exception was local carrier Rex,which on Monday announced a new Melbourne-to-Brisbane route,but only from December 17.
Deputy Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski urged everyone travelling via the new pass system to ensure their paperwork was in order.
“If they don’t they won’t be issued the border pass. The system has been automated significantly this time and allows the upload of documents to support their application.”
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Ms Palaszczuk said Queenslanders wanting to return home would not necessarily be prioritised over people migrating from other states,but stressed that everyone who met the criteria for entry would be given a pass.
On Monday Queensland was at 81.99 per cent of people over 16 having received at least one dose of the vaccine and 70.25 per cent fully vaccinated with two shots.
Queensland Health administered 16,985 vaccines on Sunday,with 114,243 doses given in the past seven days.
But the Gold Coast,expected to be on the front line of COVID prevention efforts once the border reopened fully,was still lagging the state vaccination figures.
The first-dose rate in the city was 78.7 per cent first dose,and 62.7 double-dosed,which the Premier said was “concerning”.
“We really need to see some of those areas come out and get vaccinated because make no mistake,this is close to the border,” she said.
“When we get to that 80 per cent double dose there’s going to be a lot more people coming here … so I need people to get vaccinated to protect the Gold Coast.”
Authorities are also concerned about the Gold Coast as end-of-year schoolies celebrations are due to start at the end of the week.
Queensland also recorded two cases in hotel quarantine overnight on Monday,which were not considered a threat.