Covid Qld: Premier urges ‘wear masks until September’ as case surge continues

Queenslanders should wear masks indoors until at least September, the Premier says, as she warns the number of Covid-19 hospitalisations will continue to climb.

Queenslanders should wear masks indoors until at least September amid renewed warnings from the Premier Covid-19 hospitalisations will climb.

The state government is not mandating masks, with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk urging people to “use their own discretion”.

“I will be urging Queenslanders to wear masks indoors especially where they cannot socially distance of course,” she said.

“We are going to see the hospitalisations increase.”

Queensland recorded 9023 cases in the 24 hours to Friday morning, with 26 people in intensive care.

Ms Palaszczuk said people had the best chance of minimising effects of Covid-19 by getting the booster and wearing a mask.

Queenslanders are being advised to wear masks indoors through August to September. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

“I don’t think it’s too much to ask people put a mask on until the end of August early September when you’re indoors, just until we get over this,” she said.

“If you wear your mask indoors you are preventing or helping people stop the spread of that disease and you could be saving someone’s life.

“What we do not know is tragically the people who are losing their lives, those are senior members of our community.”

Rural Doctors Association of Queensland has called for the government to reinstate a mask mandate, fearing a potential further doubling of cases would create “unimaginable impacts” on

already stretched rural and remote hospitals and healthcare providers.

“Rural general practitioners and hospitals are currently only managing the load by deferring other essential services which is not an acceptable level of care for our communities,” he said.