Coronavirus QLD: 13 new cases overnight

Queensland has recorded 13 more cases of coronavirus overnight, taking the state’s total number to 964. It comes as the Health Minister warned residents about their movements over Easter.

QUEENSLAND has recorded 13 more cases of coronavirus overnight, taking the state’s total number to 965.

Health Minister Steven Miles praised the work of residents by remaining at home and limiting the spread rate to 1.5 per cent.

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“All of the sacrifices we are making are working,” he said.

It comes as the Government continues to plead with Queenslanders to stay within their own suburbs and forget any plan of non-essential travel this Easter.

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As at midnight Queensland Police had issued 289 fines to people breaching the public health laws.

“Don’t be one of those people,” Mr Miles said.

“We are all doing this for each other.”

“There’s nearly 300 people, regretting I suspect, their decision to breach those orders,” he said.

The infringements prompted Mr Miles to warn the government was prepared to enforce harsher home isolation laws if people abused the existing two-person rule.

“We are allowing two guests but if people are abusing that we might have to revisit that and we really don’t want to,” he said.

“This is not about isolating people from their networks, it’s about keeping them socially distant.”

The 93 new cases identified in the past week have created an average daily growth rate of 1.5 per cent, much lower than the peak rate of 380 per cent.

“We would expect our daily numbers to vary however the trend is what is important,” Mr Miles said.

“All of our efforts, all of the sacrifices we are all making are working.”

Queensland Chief Health Officer Jeanette Young has also published a list of identified COVID-19 hotspots in Greater Sydney and on the Central Coast of New South Wales.

Queenslanders who have travelled to those areas may be forced to quarantine for 14 days upon their return to the state.

There are 897 people now holed-up in hotels in enforced quarantine after arriving from overseas.

Good Friday’s positive news comes as Mr Miles revealed he had not been consulted by the NRL about its plans to restart the competition on May 28.

“That doesn’t mean they haven’t been in contact with parts of the government and I’m sure they are,” he said.

“They’re trying to find ways to restart the competition in a way that is healthy and safe, I look forward to hearing what that is, I’m sure the chief health officer is available to provide advice to them.

“I’m not aware of what the plan is.”

The State Government insists efforts to slow the spread are working and declared Queensland is well prepared with ventilators and hospital beds if the situation spiralled out of control.

Mr Miles said Commonwealth modelling showed Queensland’s demand for intensive care beds would peak at 1000, less than the number of ventilator beds available.

“We already have more capacity that we anticipate ever needing,” he said.