Deputy Premier Steven Miles provides update on Queensland’s latest Covid cases

Deputy Premier Steven Miles has confirmed the state’s plan to get as many people vaccinated as possible, responding to questions about the state’s second roadmap out of Covid, while confirming no new cases have been recorded.

Deputy Premier Steven Miles has spoken in Mackay to once again push to get more regional Queenslanders to get their jab.

It comes after no new local or overseas-acquired cases were recorded overnight.

Statewide, 74.05 per cent have received their first dose of the vaccine and 60.41 per cent are fully vaccinated.

He also took time to update the situation regarding the Covid-positive rideshare driver who was so sick in hospital last week he was unable to assist authorities trying to determine where he had visited while infectious having failed to check in using the QR code app.

The man also allegedly tried to leave the ward on Monday morning, with sources claiming he has been abusing nurses “all night”.

The Covid-positive man, Duran Raman, is back in the ward the hospital, Mr Miles said.

Mr Miles said man has been “difficult” to get a full story for a number of reasons, according to Queensland Health.

Duran Raman has been in hospital, including the ICU, since last week.

He said if the reports were true regarding the incident, it would be “concerning”, but hospitals are trained to deal with these situations.

“They’re used to dealing with people who might not want to be there, who might become aggressive,” Mr Miles said.

When asked about the development of the second roadmap, Mr Miles said it wasn’t in the forefront of minds.

“The key roadmap right now is the one that we’ve been talking about, achieving those 70, 80 and 90 per cent targets,” he said.

Mr Miles said there were no plans at the moment to make vaccine mandates in other government-run industries such as teachers.

He also clarified that it would be “optional” for businesses to become fully vaccinated.

“At the 80 per cent mark, businesses can choose to be vaccinated only,” he said.

“That’s embedded in the road map.”

Deputy Premier Steven Miles. Picture: Dan Peled

Currently, there are 22 active cases in Queensland while there were almost 6000 Covid tests carried out in the past 24 hours.

Mr Miles aid that despite only being around 1,000 vaccinations over the weekend following the positive case in the Gold Coast area, the results were still “fantastic” across the state.

It was announced at the weekend that pop-up clinics would be set up for the People’s Long Weekend at key tourism hot spots.

Movie World, Sea World, Dream World, Aussie World, Australia Zoo and Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary will be handing out jabs from Friday 29 October to Sunday 31 October, while more than 20 Surf Life Saving Clubs from Cairns to Coolangatta will also have clinics operating over the weekend.