Public and private hospitals across Queensland have visitor restrictions in place to ensure the ongoing safety of patients and staff. Visitors do not include patients.

Two fully vaccinated visitors per patient are allowed in most situations.

The most high-risk areas of a hospital, including the emergency department and neonatal intensive care units, have more specific visitor restrictions than general areas.

Visitors must wear a face mask at all times indoor spaces of the hospital and comply with requirements the hospital has in place.

You cannot be a visitor to a hospital setting if you:

No person will be denied access to care or treatment based on their vaccination status.

Anyone making healthcare decisions for a patient, for example a parent or carer, will also be permitted to accompany the patient regardless of vaccination status.

An exemption is not required for an unvaccinated person to enter and remain in a hospital for an end of life visit or to support a birthing patient, however prior agreement by the hospital is required.

If you are a close contact and permitted to visit for compassionate or exceptional reasons, you must:

If you are an international arrival and permitted to visit in the first 7 days, for compassionate or exceptional reasons, you must:

A single visitor is permitted if the visitor is:

A visitor may also be allowed on compassionate grounds.

A maximum of two parents or carers can have unrestricted access.

Siblings may be granted access on compassionate grounds.

A maximum of two parents or carers can have unrestricted access.

Visitors are not normally allowed aside from parents visiting their children post-surgery.

Two support people are allowed.

No visitors are allowed except where the patient:

A support person must be fully vaccinated, and have received a booster dose where eligible.

The operator of the hospital can permit visitors to a COVID designated area for exceptional reasons (as determined by the operator) or an end of life visit in accordance with local protocols, and regardless of vaccination status of the visitor.

People visiting a public hospital to access clinical services in an area where there is sustained COVID-19 transmission may be required by the hospital to undertake a rapid antigen test (RAT) before they can enter.

Visitors includes people visiting a patient of the hospital, and people entering to provide products or services on a voluntary basis, as part of their role with another organisation.

Employees, volunteers engaged by the hospital (and not by another organisation), and students are not considered visitors but are considered workers in healthcare, and should follow the requirements of the Workers in a healthcare setting (COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements) Direction.

The operator of the hospital must collect contact information, proof of vaccination or vaccination exemption certificate by requesting visitors, volunteers and contractors to use the Check In Qld app.

If this can’t be done because the individual is unable to use the app – for example, because of age, disability or language barriers, or they do not have access to the app – the operator must register them through the Business Profile of the app. The Check In Qld app QR code must also be displayed at all entries to the facility.

The operator of a hospital is not required to request a person’s contact information if:

Hospitals may screen visitors using Rapid Antigen Tests (RAT) to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spreading in a hospital in areas with sustained community spread.

No patient will be denied care if they have a positive COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Test. Every hospital has procedures in place to manage people who have COVID-19.

If you are in isolation (you have COVID-19) or in quarantine (you are a close contact of someone who has COVID-19), you can be the support person for a patient who is also in isolation or quarantine in the same household. For example:

Call ahead to let the hospital know you are coming so they can prepare and prevent others from getting COVID-19. You would need to:

The Hospital Visitors Direction applies to all hospitals across all regions in Queensland.

Hospitals and the wards within hospitals can make decisions about visiting that are in the best interest of the patient. These decisions are based on clinical risk and may change depending on the situation at the time – such as the number of cases in the community, a visitor’s travel history and whether the patient is a vulnerable patient or not.

Visiting hours may also differ across hospitals. Please respect each hospital’s visitor rules.

Only fully vaccinated students can undertake placement at a hospital, where they are under the supervision of an employee or contractor.

Facilities may also impose their own additional requirements on students.

Students that are not fully vaccinated can still enter a hospital for limited personal reasons:

If contact information can’t be collected using the Check In Qld app, hospitals must collect this information using another electronic or paper-based method.

For each visitor, this information must include:

Hospitals must use best endeavours to transfer this information to an electronic system within 24 hours and comply with the requirements for collection and storage. If asked, this information must be provided to a public health officer within the stated time.

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