Covid Qld: Qld records 10,391 new cases and 12 deaths - a third unvaxxed

Queensland has recorded 10,391 new cases and 12 deaths - a third of which were unvaccinated as chief health officer Dr John Gerrard revealed the first details of the back-to-school plan.

Queensland has recorded 10,391 new Covid cases and 12 deaths - a third of which were unvaccinated as the first details of the back-to-school plan were revealed.

Treasurer Cameron Dick said four of the people who died were unvaccinated, while only one tenth of the state is unvaccinated, showing deaths in the unvaccinated were exponentially higher.

He said the tragic deaths were another reminder that it’s never too late to get vaccinated.

Of those who died of Covid in the last reporting period, one person was aged in their 60s, two in their 70s, six in their 80s, and three in their 90s.

Chief health officer Dr John Gerrard said two had received only one dose of the vaccine, five were double vaccinated while four were unvaccinated. None had received their booster shot.

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COVID-19 Update: Treasurer @camerondickqld is speaking at a Woolworths distribution centre. #covid19https://t.co/yJb6ovUdkW

— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) January 29, 2022

There are now 833 people being treated in hospital for COVID-19, which is up slightly from Friday.

He said officials did not expect significant falls in the hospitalisation rate in Brisbane until later in the week.

Dr Gerrard revealed the first details of the much-anticipated back-to-school plan with masks set to be mandatory for students in grades 7 and up, while recommended for younger age groups.

The plan had been delayed because Education Minister Grace Grace caught Covid with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk refusing to reveal it without Ms Grace by her side.

Dr Gerrard stopped short of revealing any further details, saying he should wait for it to be officially released which would be in coming days.

“I’m jumping the gun on this ... let’s wait until the plan is officially released, I probably shouldn’t be speaking about it until the plan is officially released,” he said.

“The plan is pretty common sense, there isn’t anything in the plan that will shock Queenslanders.

“Parents should not be too anxious about it.”

Dr Gerrard said Covid spread quickly throughout Queensland from the Christmas period - firstly through the younger age group and was now sweeping through the older population.

He reminded people it was ‘not too late to get the booster shot’.

“This is the peak, not the end, we are in the middle,” he said.

“That third dose is quite critical.

“The virus has clearly spread through the younger age group and now (the older) age group are most vulnerable.

“The epidemic is progressing, and so far, the outcomes in terms of hospitalisations and complications is significantly lower than what we were expecting.”

Dr John Gerrard Chief Health Officer says Queensland is in the ‘peak not the end’. Photo Steve Pohlner

Dr Gerrard said the state is most interested to see a drop of hospitalisations - which would begin to indicate the worst of the wave was over.

However, he said what happens next - and what the new normal for community transmission would be - still remained a mystery.

“The unknown is what happens as those numbers decline, what the tail of that looks like,” he said.

“It’s not totally clear what the next phase is, but the numbers will decline substantially.”

He said Queensland is looking to other states and countries to predict modelling with variations across the world making it difficult to predict.

Dr Gerrard said the state is not overly concerned about the new Covid variation - dubbed the ‘son of Omicron’.

He said it was similar to Omicron and the initial information indicates the vaccine is working.

On the slow rollout of the Covid-19 vaccination for kids, Mr Dick said that was a question for the federal government.

Mr Dick was joined by Dr Gerrard while visiting the Woolworth distribution facility on Brisbane’s southside, where he said up to 40 per cent of the workforce had recently been forced into isolation due to the Omicron wave.

The Treasurer said the isolation rate had since halved.

He recognised companies and businesses who have done well to protect their workforce and paid special recognition to Woolworths and other essential workers, who ensure Queenslanders can be fed and get their essential supplies.

Mr Dick said two years ago yesterday was the day of the first Covid case in Queensland, while two years ago today, Queensland declared a public health emergency for the state.

This allowed the CHO to protect Queenslanders during the pandemic, said Mr Dick.

“Those measures have served our state very well,” Mr Dick said.

“We’ve acted decisively throughout this pandemic to keep Queensland safe.”

It comes as Queensland health authorities were braced for a worst-case scenario of thousands of Covid-19-infected people in hospital and hundreds in intensive care by the end of the month.

After weeks of pressure to release modelling revealing the state’s predicted path through the Omicron wave, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said yesterday authorities had planned for as many as 5000 hospital beds to be occupied at the peak.

Even a modest “most likely” scenario predicted 3000 hospital beds needed and close to 300 in intensive care.

But instead, with 818 people now in hospital and 54 in ICUs, Queensland was tracking well below even the mildest scenario predicted.

Ms Palaszczuk said the worst-case scenario being planned for was “quite frightening at the time”, but the current situation was “very heartening”.

“In saying that, we haven’t been past the peak yet, that peak is upon us now in the southeast,” she said.

Dr Gerrard said yesterday the state was “doing way better than expected”, but he did not want to see the community become complacent.

He said the better-than-expected outcome was due to Queenslanders adapting their behaviour to limit the spread.

“This is not over,” he said.

“The news is good so far, but don’t go out and celebrate just yet.

“Generally the situation is stable.”

A total of 9974 cases were recorded yesterday, and the state set a new daily record for the number of Covid-19 deaths, with 18.

They included four people who were unvaccinated, including a man in his 30s, as well as four people in their 60s, four in their 70s, seven in their 80s and two in their 90s.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said while unvaccinated people made up only about 8 per cent of the state’s population, they accounted for about 20 to 30 per cent of Covid-19-related deaths.

Ms Palaszczuk said vaccinated young people could continue to live their lives but urged elderly people to be very cautious about movements in the next few weeks.

Parents were also expected to have a plan for the return to school in the coming days, with the official return date of February 7 inching closer.

Some Queensland schools will be open this weekend for people to get the jab.

Dr Gerrard said disruption to school was expected because of isolation and quarantine but it was important for teachers, parents and grandparents to receive booster shots.

“We are doing better than expected, but don’t want complacency either,” he said.

Brisbane’s Jenny Gunston and Katie Sills told The Courier-Mail they were doing their best to enjoy life despite the spread of the Omicron variant.

Friday drinks was the first time Ms Gunston had been out since she was bedridden with Covid-19 last week.

“It’s great that venues are able to stay open because getting sick and being in isolation hits you pretty hard, so it’s good to be out again,” she said.

“People are more relaxed about restrictions now but I think it’s important that we still take it seriously because the virus doesn’t just affect you physically but also the mental toll of being in quarantine.”

Ms Sills said it was great to be out just weeks after having to isolate over Christmas.

Katie Sills and Jenny Gunston at Brisbane’s Howard Smith Wharves. Picture: Josh Woning