Covid Qld: Health Minister Yvette D’Ath providing update on case numbers

The Health Minister has targeted one demographic as being both the most vulnerable and also the most-active spreaders of Covid-19, as two more people have died from the virus and new cases 11,174 Covid-19 cases were recorded overnight.

Two more Queenslanders have died due to Covid-19, with the state’s death toll from the pandemic rising to 10, as people in the 20-30-year-old age group have been told to get vaccinated as they continue to be worst-hit by the virus.

Chief health officer Dr John Gerrard confirmed the two newly announced deaths were both men in their 30s.

One was an unvaccinated man from Brisbane who died on January 5 and was found dead in his home, and the other the man from the Gold Coast.

The coroner had deemed the Gold Coast man, whose death was announced earlier this week, had died from Covid-19 complications.

Dr Gerrard said a rare complication known as myocarditis, or an infection of the heart, was the probable cause in both deaths.

There have been 11,174 new recorded cases. Seventeen people are in intensive care and three are on ventilators.

Almost 350 people are now in Queensland hospitals suffering effects of the disease.

Some 3505 frontline health workers have either tested positive or are quarantining

Live in Queensland and receive a positive rapid antigen test (RAT) result?

You can now register your result on the Queensland Health website: https://t.co/GfEsJTQcdL

— Yvette D'Ath MP (@YvetteDAth) January 8, 2022

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said the latest Covid death was “so sad” and pleaded with people in their 20s and 30s to get vaccinated.

“It is so sad and there is something you can do to at least increase your protection and that’s get vaccinated,” she said.

“We know our 20- to 39-year-olds are the lowest vaccination rate. We also know that this is the group that we are seeing the most virus in.

“These are the people who are mobile in our community, going out socialising a lot, you are likely to get it first and you are likely to spread it to others.

“The 20- to 39-year-old group, please don’t think you’re invincible. If you’re not vaccinated, get vaccinated, if you’re due for your second or your booster please go get them as soon as you’re eligible.

“But also remember that it’s not just about your health, it’s also the loved ones around you.

“Sadly this shows that healthy people can die from Covid and we need to be very alert to the symptoms and finding out whether you’ve got it or not.”

Queensland Health Minister Yvette D’Ath. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Josh Woning

Ms D’Ath also said discussions continued over when school would resume and whether any delay to the start of the school year would also include high schools as well as primary schools.

Ms D’Ath confirmed Queensland’s online platform to log positive rapid antigen tests has gone live on the Queensland Health website, saying it meant the number of cases would be expected to rise significantly when the reports came in. Those who cannot access it online, can call the 134 HEALTH hotline to be redirected via phone.

Ms D’Ath said all category three elective surgeries would be delayed until at least March, and some category two.

“This is what we have to do,” she said.

“With cases surging throughout the community our plan will mean that we will be redirecting health services to manage.”

Ms D’Ath said this will be in place until March 1.

“In relation to outpatients, we’ll also be looking at either postponing or delivering telehealth for all non urgent outpatient appointments,” Ms D'Ath said.

“This will allow us to redirect our staff to where we need to deal with emergencies and Covid patients.”

As the state remains gripped by surging Covid case numbers, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said she would not be sending Queensland schoolchildren back to class during the peak of an Omicron wave.

With school scheduled to return on January 24, Ms Palaszczuk said a potential delay of one to two weeks would allow more time for children to be vaccinated, with kids aged 5 to 11 eligible from Monday.

The likelihood of severe staff shortages as teachers inevitably become unwell after being struck down by Covid, or branded close contacts, was also a factor.

Kristy Frappell alongside seven-year-old son Lachlan Frappell who are waiting to find out when school will return Picture: Zak Simmonds

Ms D’Ath said plans were still in progress, before any concrete decision would be made.

“It’s still being worked through with Education and we’re taking the advice of the chief health officer,” she said.

“Obviously the Premier has been really clear that she doesn’t want to see our primary school kids going back to school in the peak so we are considering delaying the start of the face-to-face schooling for at the very least primary school but there hasn’t been any final decisions at this stage.

“And of course national cabinet is considering putting together a national framework together as well so we are keen on seeing what the other states are doing as well, but I know the Premier’s got a Queensland Disaster Management Commitee meeting tomorrow morning where there’s a range of issues we’re going to be discussing and I’m sure this will get discussed there as well

“The Premier’s keen to get this decision made very quickly because we know school starts in two weeks and parents need certainty so it’s just a matter of days

“We know the disruption it causes to learning but we also want to slow the spread and keep our kids and our teachers safe.

“We do want a national framework but ultimately we’ll do what we think is right for Queensland.”

Primary school-age children will be eligible to get the vaccine from January 10, and Ms D’Ath noted there has been a good uptick in the number of registrations.

“On Wednesday we had 17,355 five- to 11-year-olds booked in at a state clinic and as of yesterday that’s gone up to 23,159 so we are definitely seeing parents booking their kids in,” she said.

“I did some quick sums, 5 per cent of all five-to 11-year-olds in Queensland are already booked in at a state vaccination clinic to get vaccinated.

“That’s great news ... thank you parents.”

It comes as Queenslanders have been told to stay home in a six-week pseudo lockdown to slow the rapid spread of Covid-19 in the community.

There are only 14 local government areas in the state that have not had a positive case following the addition of cases in Winton, Mapoon and Bulloo

Queensland’s vaccination rate is 91.02 per cent first dose and 87.4 per cent fully vaccinated for the population aged 16 and older.