Families stranded by Queensland's abrupt two-week pause on hotspot arrivals

Families have been left stranded by the Queensland government's abrupt two-week travel ban intended to free up space in overloaded hotel quarantine.

The snap decision means anyone relocating to Queensland from hotspot regions who did not get on a flight by midday yesterday will now be required to reapply for their passes and will be allocated a time period for their arrival.

Neil Bartlett told 9News he was supposed to be moving his family to Queensland and had cleared out his Sydney rental.

READ MORE: Queensland pauses hotel quarantine from interstate hotspots for two weeks

Desperate, the family had decided to board the flight regardless, he said.

"I'm at a loss, I don't know what to do," he said.

"If I get turned around we've got nowhere to live.

"It's wrong what's happening. Not just for me but for everybody."

Emma Martin said she was shocked to discover even Queenslanders would not be able to return during the pause.

Her partner Hayden quit a job placement in Sydney to come home and quarantine.

"He's trying to come home. This is his home. He lives here," she said.

When the ban ends travellers from interstate hotspots will first need to book into a quarantine hotel before they're granted entry into Queensland.

The timeline for that is unclear.

"They're setting the system up now," Ms Palaszczuk said.

"Hopefully we'll iron out all those issues over the two weeks."

The pause applies to arrivals from NSW, Victoria and the ACT.