Deputy Premier Steven Miles and CHO to provide update on Queensland’s latest Covid cases

As Queensland records its 12th consecutive day of no community transmission, Deputy Premier Steven Miles said NSW had ‘stopped listening to the health advice’.

Queensland has recorded its 12th consecutive day of no community transmission as pressure builds on the Palaszczuk government to release the state’s road map out of Covid.

Deputy Premier Steven Miles and chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young are addressing the media from a chemist on Brisbane’s northside.

Mr Miles said there were now 28 active cases in the state.

Deputy Premier and Chief Health Officer providing a COVID-19 update. @stevenjmiles@yvettedath#covid19https://t.co/jXbhH6CH3Z

— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) October 16, 2021

More than 4100 people were vaccinated at Bunnings Warehouse on Saturday while 56 per cent of Queenslanders are now fully vaccinated.

“We just need Queenslanders to come out and get vaccinated,” Deputy Premier Steven Miles said.

“The sooner we can get Queenslanders vaccinated the sooner we can adjust restrictions.”

Deputy Premier Steven Miles and chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young are providing a Covid update on Sunday morning. Picture: Dan Peled

Mr Miles said the State Government remained committed to the national plan despite New South Wales “going off the plan”.

“There are very few restrictions currently in Queensland when compared to southern states,” he said.

“What we’ve seen in recent days is that NSW has torn up that national plan … and gone rogue.” he said.

He said as soon as the 70 and 80 per cent vaccination targets were reached, restrictions would be released.

Mr Miles said that he had “some confidence” that the state will reach the 80 per cent threshold soon.

He said authorities would give as much notice as they could for when borders were set to reopen.

“I would love to see the border open by Christmas,” he said.

Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said there were pop up vaccination clinics throughout the state.

Dr Young said the strong response to the Bunnings vaccination hubs came as a surprise and that the State Government would consider more pop-up clinics at similar locations.

“We’ve got to think innovatively where we’re going to put these pop-up clinics because just having mass vaccination hubs is not enough,” she said.

Dr Young said that she would like to see 50,000 vaccinations daily.

“We are in the home stretch,” she said. “We can’t keep the virus out for much longer.”

She said it was “time to normalise” the virus.

“We need to regain our full lives again.”

She said the streak of zero cases was “excellent news”, but that Queensland “could not know” what will happen in the coming weeks.

Dr Young said she was confident Queensland could double its ICU capacity if there was an outbreak of Covid cases.

“But we should be using the vaccine, not relying on ICU,” she said.

Treasurer Cameron Dick used the daily Covid update on Saturday to assure Queenslanders his government was working hard on the state’s road map.

“We’re working very hard on that and of course we’re considering what’s happening in other states every day,” he said.