Covid Qld: Where Queenslanders could get the jab next

Suncorp Stadium, the Brisbane Entertainment Centre and other venues could be transformed into drive-through vaccination clinics under a ramped-up vaccine rollout plan.

The Brisbane Entertainment Centre, RNA Showgrounds and other major venues could be transformed into drive-through vaccination clinics, as part of a dramatic ramp up of the jab rollout.

Supermarkets, churches and other places of worship will join workplace vaccinations as options from October, while school vaccination programs could come online from December.

Covid Taskforce leader Lieutenant-General JJ Frewen quietly “war gamed” a ramped-up vaccine rollout plan with state health authorities, which has now been released.

Lieutenant-General John Frewen in Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

He committed that anyone who wants a vaccine would get one by Christmas, saying it will be “mathematically” possible for the nation to reach 80 per cent coverage by the end of the year.

Stadium car parks are suggested in the plan to be used as drive-through locations to avoid traffic banking up and provide space for people to wait 15 minutes for observation.

The new rollout plan specifies “high-throughput sites that may include stadium carparks”.

It is understood that the drive through clinics, while not pegged to start until October, could start in a trial as early as this month.

The location will be prioritised by need, which puts southeast Queensland in the running due to the current outbreak.

Some venues, like the Brisbane Entertainment Centre at Boondal and Willows Sports Complex in Townsville, are already set up with vaccination clinics, which paves the way for an expansion to offer vaccines.

While Suncorp Stadium has limited parking, there are bus bays which could be converted if needed.

Lt-Gen Frewen said details would be worked through with the states and territories.

“The plan also talks to the potential things like drive-through clinics, pop-up clinics and things like that,” he said.

He said issues like putting in the appropriate infrastructure and framework would need to be worked through, but drive throughs were an option available to states now.

“It is an option now that we have and we got the parameters around how that can be done safely and effectively, it will really be up to the jurisdictions now to decide if that’s a pathway they would like to take,” he said.

Suncorp Stadium could be used as a venue to deliver vaccines to Queenslanders. Picture: AAP Image/Richard Gosling

“There is a range of aspect there of lining the traffic up in an orderly way, having the way to administer the vaccines, then, of course, having the ability to have people wait for a period of time for observation to make sure everything is going OK and then release them.”

Lt-Gen Frewen said the details would be worked through with the first jurisdiction to take up the option.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath Queensland would continue in its efforts to get more people vaccinated while it awaits more details on the plan. “Queensland is keen to hear more detail from the Commonwealth on its evolving vaccination strategy,” she said. Stadiums Queensland was contacted for comment.