Cairns Covid-19: Region records 514 cases on July 19 amid mandates debate

A Far North tourism leader has weighed in on the mandate debate as the region recorded hundreds of Covid-19 cases overnight with many in hospital care.

THE region’s recovering economy may face another hurdle after the Far North recorded 514 Covid-19 cases overnight as local industries battle through their pandemic recovery.

However as of July 19, the Queensland Health data showed the number of patients under the care of the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service had dropped from 128 on July 18 to 122 on Tuesday.

The unforeseen severity of the third wave has caught much of state by surprise with recent debate erupting around the need for mandates including masks.

On July 19 there were 122 people under the care of CHHHS due to Covid-19. Picture: Brendan Radke

On Wednesday, Deputy Premier Steven Miles said the advice around masks, working from home and mandates remained the same.

“Go to work unless you’re sick or in a vulnerable category – The federal government has not told their own staff to work from home,” he said.

“The strongest mandate measures were always designed to be in place to protect people until we had a vaccine.”

However, a top national epidemiologist warned Queenslanders that “immunity wanes,” and “vaccines alone will not save us.”

“The vaccines were built on the original virus and we have had many strains since then,” University of NSW professor of global biosecurity Raina MacIntyre said.

“Vaccines can help prevent people from ending up in hospital but they won’t stop the spread. “That can only be done with strict public health measures like mask mandates.”

A top national epidemiologist warned Queenslanders that spread of Covid-19 can only be stopped with mandates. A man enters the Cairns Hospital Covid-19 testing facility. Picture: Brendan Radke

But Tourism Palm Cove president Gary Kerr, who said the industry in his patch was enjoying “one of its busiest seasons” would unlikely support a return of mandates.

He said while it was a balancing act between protecting the region from the virus and allowing the industry to operate, he believed the next stage of the response should be further education.

“People are over being told what to do, especially after two and a half years,” he said.

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“I think the best way to go is to encourage people to do the right thing, make them aware of what responsible actions looks like to minimise the spread and we can leave it up to individual operators on they’re going to handle the situation.”

While masks haven’t been mandated in Queensland, the state government has strongly urged wearing one indoors where it is not possible to socially distance.

Cairns State High School executive principal Chris Zilm said in a statement to the school’s parents and students that new measures had been introduced in light of the latest wave.

The school will make masks available for exams, teachers are being encouraged open classroom windows and doors, parent-teacher meetings have been postponed and year parades and school meeting will be either cancelled or go online.

Originally published as Cairns Covid-19: Region records 514 cases on July 19 amid mandates debate