Sunshine Coast mother Clare Martin and her son have been stuck in Melbourne since last month and she is waiting nervously to see if they are among the 1,000 Queenslanders chosen for a home quarantine trial.
The trial is set to start from next Monday for Queenslanders wanting to return home from interstate COVID-19 hotspots.
Ms Martin rushed to Melbourne from the Sunshine Coast more than a month ago to help her daughter.
"She had been injured, she was distraught and she was begging me to help her," she said.
"So I packed a bag and my six-year-old son and I were on the first flight out of Brisbane to be with my daughter."
She applied to return home to Queensland in early September, but is still waiting for a border pass.
Her son has been missing school while they are stuck in Melbourne.
Ms Martin said as a vaccinated Sunshine Coast resident she is eligible for the home quarantine trial but is not sure if she will be included.
Some returning residents have already been notified of their eligibility via an email from Queensland Health.
She said the wait so far had been "agonising".
"Tuesday this week was really difficult for me because school went back. I was so sad and cried several times throughout the day because my son should be there," she said.
She said she was frustrated about the time it had taken so far.
"I'm also frustrated for the many Queenslanders who are stuck, who don't qualify," she said.
Home quarantine only applies to those stuck interstate
Speaking in Mackay today, Health Minister Yvette D'Ath said those who take part in the home quarantine trial will need to have had a negative test 72 hours prior to travelling to Queensland.
They must live within two hours of Brisbane Airport and be able to quarantine alone or with the rest of the household also in quarantine.
"We've already started reaching out to Queenslanders stuck in the state who have already applied to return to Queensland," Ms D'Ath said.
"It doesn't apply to someone who today jumps on a plane and goes down south.
"You must have had at least two weeks pass from your second vaccination, so if you are stuck interstate and haven't been vaccinated yet hurry up and get vaccinated.
"We will revaluate this in a couple of weeks to see the success [of the trial]."
