Covid Qld: Unvaccinated person in 30s among 10 deaths as 11k new cases recorded

Queensland has recorded 11,947 new Covid-19 cases and another 10 deaths – including an unvaccinated person in their 30s – as government’s critical essential worker public health directive will be updated, meaning many roles can return to work, even if they are a close contact.

Queensland has recorded 11,947 new Covid-19 cases and another 10 deaths – including an unvaccinated person in their 30s – as government’s critical essential worker public health directive will be updated, meaning many roles can return to work, even if they are a close contact.

Of the 10 deaths, one person was in their 30s, one in their 60s, seven in their 80s and one in their 90s.

Chief Health Officer John Gerrard said three of the people who died were unvaccinated – including the two youngest – and none had received boosters.

“This is not easy knowing people are going to lose their lives from this virus,” Ms D’Ath said.

Dr Gerrard said unless it was “extremely clear” someone had died from an alternative cause, it was becoming difficult to distinguish underlying health conditions and their relation to the death.

There are 85,112 active cases that are registered, but the actual number of cases are expected to be much higher.

There are 863 people in hospital with the virus, with 47 in intensive care – 14 of which are on ventilators – but that number does not include people who have been moved to private hospitals.

Dr Gerrard said the fall in hospitalisations from 884 on Saturday to 863 on Sunday should not be taken as an indication of trends.

“We shouldn’t make too much from a single reading – I wouldn’t over-interpret that too much,” he said.

“Obviously down is better than up.”

Chief Health Officer Dr John Gerrard. Picture: Liam Kidston

Covid patients are now being moved into private hospitals to ease the pressure on the public system.

Ms D’Ath said it was a positive sign there were fewer people in hospital, but said it was too early to determine whether it was a trend or one-off.

There are 89.14 per cent of Queenslanders with two doses of the vaccine.

From Monday boosters will be available for people who received their second dose three months ago.

There are 65 per cent of eligible Queenslanders with a booster.

The government’s critical essential worker public health directive will be updated from Monday.

The directive allows people who are a close contact to return to work if they are an essential worker.

Workers manufacturing beverages, telecommunications, broadcast and journalism will be included in the critical worker definition.

From Monday those close contacts who do return to work will be forced to undertake a rapid test on day one, two, four and six.

Ms D’Ath said employers should be testing daily when possible – particularly when rapid antigen testing becomes more available.

“With the ability to bring these workers back into the workplace comes responsibility,” she said.

Vaccination rates sit at 91.82 per cent of the first dose and 89.14 per cent double dose of eligible Queenslanders.

Some 65.35 per cent of eligible Queenslanders have received their booster.

Almost 25 per cent of 5- to 11-year-olds have been vaccinated.

Ms D’Ath thanked parents for bringing their children forward to be vaccinated but reminded them it was just as important to get 12- to 15-year-olds to be vaccinated, especially before the school year begins, as the bracket sits at only 70 per cent double dosed.

Pharmacy Guild of Australia Queensland branch president Chris Owen said pharmacies had delivered more than 800,000 vaccinations to the state throughout the pandemic.

Health Minister Yvette D'Ath. Picture: NCA NewsWire / John Gass

He said there were hundreds of thousands of Queenslanders now eligible for their booster vaccination.

Mr Owen said the supply chain for rapid antigen tests was working in overdrive, with tens of millions on their way.

He encouraged people to look on social media for RAT stock before calling a pharmacy.

Mr Owen said his pharmacy had not received a stock of RAT tests since December 28.

He said Queenslanders were clearly “frustrated” with the lack of orders and could not put a time frame on the tests’ arrival.

“Sometime in February, I would hope earlier, it will be hopefully be resolved,” he said.

Ms D’Ath said ideally close contacts should be taking daily RATS but it depended on supply.

It comes as Prime Minister Scott Morrison has defended the rollout of school vaccines, with just one in four children vaccinated by the end of last week.

Doctors have warned it will be impossible for them to vaccinate all 5-11 year olds before school returns because they only receive 200 vaccines per fortnight.