Queensland has declared one of Melbourne’s local government areas a Covid-19 hotspot due to a cluster of coronavirus cases.

Health officials in the Sunshine State issued a statement on Tuesday night advising Melbourne’s City of Whittlesea local government area was now an area of concern.

Queensland’s chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young said the four new infections announced by Victorian authorities on Tuesday afternoon – bringing the cluster to nine cases – meant action needed to be taken.

As of 1am on Wednesday, anyone arriving into Queensland who has been to the hotspot area since May 11 will enter 14 days of hotel quarantine unless they have a valid exemption.

From 1am on Thursday, everyone arriving from Victoria will be required to complete a border pass.

Then, those arrivals who had been to the Whittlesea LGA since May 11 and are not a local resident will not be permitted to enter unless an exemption is granted.

If that is the case, those with permission to enter the state must complete two weeks of isolation in a medi-hotel, regardless if they are a local resident or not.

It was announced on Monday that anyone who attended a declared venue of concern listed on the Victorian Health website would be placed into hotel quarantine, as of 1am on Wednesday.

Anyone who has been to Greater Melbourne on or after May 11 will not be allowed to go into the state’s prisons, aged care facilities, disability accomodation services and hospitals as of 1am Wednesday.

However, Dr Young said exemptions could be requested on compassionate grounds.

She said Queensland was continuing to monitor the situation and warned further restrictions could be introduced.

“Acting quickly matters,” Dr Young said.

“These situations are always evolving, but we know the next few days are critical in suppressing the risk of the virus spreading.”

People who were already in Queensland and had been to a declared exposure site in Victoria must get tested and quarantine.

Dr Young also advised residents who planned to visit Victoria to reconsider their need to travel.

There were two new coronavirus infections reported in Queensland on Tuesday; both being returned travellers in hotel quarantine.

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