Don’t go out, work from home: Premier’s plea to Queensland

For the next six weeks Queenslanders, especially the vulnerable, are being urged to stay at home as much as possible to limit the risk of becoming part of the raging Omicron wave.

Annastacia Palaszczuk has issued a clear instruction for Queenslanders to stay at home until the current Omicron wave subsides.

Speaking at a press conference today, the Premier said the rest of January and February was going to be a “very tough time for Queensland”.

“We are telling people to please work from home, please do not go out especially if you are in the vulnerable category, please wear your mask, please socially distance.”

“We are asking Queenslanders’ but also visitors to our state to follow these restrictions.”

“It’s important for anyone who has symptoms to stay home and to avoid large indoor crowds especially if you are vulnerable.’

She urged the public to “restrict their movements” until they have had their booster shot.

“We are not going to stop this wave but we can stop people’s movements.”

“Now is not the time to be going out socialising - we are asking you to minimise going out for the next six weeks.”

She said it is “not a big ask” when there are countries who have been locked down for at least a year.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk during a press conference in Brisbane. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

Ms Palaszczuk said the wave would be a ‘short, sharp wave’ with modelling showing the peak would be at the end of January.

She urged vulnerable people - including pregnant women and the elderly, to avoid going out over the next six weeks.

“We are asking over the next six weeks basically don’t go out and limit your movement,” she said.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath laid out five measures authorities hoped would help slow the spread:

1. Stay at home if unwell - she said even if someone returned a negative RAT test it is ‘highly possible’ they’ll get a negative on an initial RAT test and then get a positive at a later time

2. Work from home where possible

3. Wear a mask

4. Social distance - ‘we know it makes a difference’

5. Get vaccinated

Queensland Health Minister Yvette D’Ath pictured addressing the media. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Josh Woning

The CHO Dr John Gerrard agreed that we are not going to stop the spread of this virus “we are just trying to slow it down a little bit.”

“We don’t know that there won’t be new strains in the future,” he said.

“The demographic of concern - people in their 20s and 30s - the virus is already widespread.”

He said the speed of the omicron strain is “extraordinary”.

“Anyone with a sore nose, headache, cough, fever etc should assume they have Covid-19 until proven otherwise.”

Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr John Gerrard. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Josh Woning

Dr Gerrard said he had resisted imposing a 2 per sqm rule again because it would not help to stop the spread, but would have a major impact on the community.

“We are not going to stop the spread of this virus,” he said.

“The speed of Omicron spread has been extraordinary.”

and this Dr Gerrard said anyone with a sore throat, cough, runny nose, headache or fever should ‘assume they have Covid-19 until proven otherwise’.

Health Minister Yvette Maree D’Ath said it is important for people to stay home “even if you have a negative result.”

Ms D’Ath said there are two new government areas with reported cases in the last 24 hours, with with close to 11,000 cases recorded state-wide overnight.