Covid Qld: Stark ICU statistic amid new daily deaths record, 15k new cases

Shocking new statistics show the unvaccinated are 24 times more likely to end up in intensive care than someone who is triple-vaccinated, as Queensland records seven deaths and 15,122 new Covid-19 cases.

Queensland has recorded seven new deaths – the highest single-day toll in the state since the pandemic began – and 15,122 new Covid-19 cases, with the Health Minister urging members of the public to come forward to get the booster shot as she revealed none of the latest fatalities had received it.

Of the seven deaths, two were in their 80s and five were in their 90s. Two were unvaccinated and five had been double vaccinated. None had had their booster shot.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said of the 29 deaths since December 13, only one person had received the booster shot.

“It is not worth the risk, the vaccine is available,” she said.

Five of the deaths were in hospital and two were in aged care.

Chief Health Officer Dr John Gerrard issued a stark new statistic based on numbers coming from hospitals around the state, saying the unvaccinated are 24 times more likely to end up in intensive care than someone who has had all three shots.

Ms D’Ath said there are 702 people in hospital including 42 in ICU.

There are 15 people on ventilators.

“We want the least amount of people needing to be hospitalised,” Ms D’Ath said.

Dr Gerrard said he expected the Gold Coast would reach its peak ‘in the next week or so’ and Brisbane would follow a few days later.

The unvaccinated are 24 times more likely to end up in intensive care than someone who has had all three shots. Picture: Liam Kidston

Of the seven deaths recorded today, 2 were in their 80s, five were in their 90s. Two were unvaccinated and five had been double vaccinated. None had had their booster shot.

There are almost 13 per cent of 5-11 year olds who have been vaccinated.

Almost 1 million Queenslanders have received their third dose of vaccinated, but Dr Gerrard said there were concerns a large number of elderly people have not received their booster.

Dr Gerrard said the situation now was very different to earlier periods of the pandemic, with outbreaks in aged care being quite mild.

He said there were no plans to shut down aged care facilities to visitors in the future.

Ms D’Ath said she was concerned that not all aged care and disability facilities had received their boosters yet.

“I believe the Commonwealth is saying around two thirds have already been completed,” she said.

She also said it was “disappointing” to see some businesses weren’t following the vaccine mandate.

“This is about safety, this is about those businesses looking out for their own workers. Surely these businesses are worried about having no staff if they test positive,” she said.

“It does nothing to support the economy when you could end up with all of your staff infected anyway.”

Health Minister Yvette D'Ath. Pic Annette Dew

There is only one local government area, Boulia, which has not reported a Covid case since the latest wave started.

Education Minister Grace Grace said there has been a positive response to the “common sense measure” to delay the school year.

She said the proposed extra week at the end of the school year would now not be required following consultation with the teachers’ union.

Ms Grace said she was satisfied that the full curriculum could be delivered in the condensed year, meaning the year will finish as planned on December 9.

“The proposed extra week at the end of the school year will not be required,” she said.

Ms Grace said there are ample relief teachers available to cover unvaccinated teachers who won’t be able to return to work as per the vaccine mandate.

“If by a certain date they don’t reach the mandate, they will be stood down without pay,” she said.

She said the government is working on “a process” to ensure teachers are vaccinated upon their return to school.

She said unvaccinated staff will be stood down after a certain date.

“If by a certain date they [teachers] don’t meet that mandate they will be stood down without pay,” she said.

Dr Gerrard said when schools open there will be a significant number of cases but the vast majority of children will have minor symptoms, similar to a normal cold.

Ms Grace said they are waiting for national guidelines to be formed that discusses how to deal with mass Covid outbreaks at schools.

“Obviously safety comes first and following the health advice is necessary,” she said.

Three more Covid deaths at the weekend lifted Queensland’s fatality count to 29 – a toll that has more than quadrupled in a fortnight – with the Sunshine State still bracing for the peak of the Omicron surge.

Chief Health Officer Dr John Gerrard. Picture: Richard Walker

Ms Grace said the government delayed school also to get more children vaccinated before the peak of Omicron hits.

“We’ve got those additional two weeks to continue to build that up,” she said.

The three new deaths reported on Sunday were all people with underlying health conditions, something chief health officer Dr John Gerrard said was a common factor among the 29 people who had died from the virus in Queensland.

The deaths were people in their 60s and 80s, and one person aged 103.

After holding steady at seven deaths for eight months, Queensland’s Covid fatality count has risen more than fourfold since January 5 – including two separate days of six deaths in the past week.

It comes as Queensland’s aged care facilities are being pushed to breaking point as more than 100 active outbreaks cause major staff shortages and force residents to hunker down in their rooms.

Recent federal government figures from January 14 have shown 133 outbreaks across the state’s 500-plus aged care facilities, involving 367 residents and 620 staff.

With severe staff shortages, Paul Sadler, chief executive of Aged and Community Services Australia, said aged care is in an “emergency situation” and advised visitations be cut back.