Joint statement from Torres Shire Council Mayor Cr. Vonda Malone, and Torres Strait Island Regional Council Mayor Cr. Phillemon Mosby.
The following applies for the duration of the Cairns and Yarrabah Local Government Areas lockdown (lockdown area).
If you were in the lockdown area at the time of the lockdown or you are a resident or worker of the Torres Strait returning from the lockdown area, from 4 pm on Sunday 8 August 2021, you must continue to comply with the remaining lockdown restrictions for Cairns and Yarrabah (Restrictions for Locked Down Areas (Cairns and Yarrabah) Direction (No. 5)).
The stay at home isolation requirement for anyone entering the Torres Strait from the lockdown area stops at 4pm 12/08/21.
If you have been to a Contact Tracing exposure site, get tested and follow the Qld Health Directives which may include the need to quarantine. Contact Site requirements will still apply after the lockdown.
Queensland Police Service are assisting with education and monitoring of compliance with the Queensland Health Directives for persons returning to the Torres Strait from Cairns and Yarrabah lockdown areas.
Until further notice, the two Local Government Councils that make-up the Torres Strait Local Disaster Management Group request that you alter your communication in the Torres Strait to non-face-to-face meetings (such as Teams/Zoom).
If you are planning on holding any face-to-face meetings with either local governments, as a precautionary measure we respectfully request you consider deferring the meeting to a later date at this time due to potential COVID-19 risks.
We thank you for your support in our shared objective of protecting the health and safety of our communities.
The TSLDMG strongly encourages anyone who has been in Cairns on or after Friday, 23 July 2021 to:
The Torres Strait Local Disaster Management Group (TSLDMG) stresses the need for the local community work together to continue to maintain safe practices and physical distancing during this pandemic and reconsider travel to Cairns and the mainland unless absolutely essential.
All Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Services sites have testing capability although Point of Care (rapid) testing is available at the following sites: