Queensland records 10 deaths, 7588 new Covid cases

The state's public servants have been told they must return to workplaces from next week as the state’s southeast endures the peak of the Omicron wave, with 7588 cases and 10 new deaths recorded in the past 24 hours.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has ordered public servants to return to workplaces from next week under the state’s back to work, back to school plan.

It comes as Queensland recorded 7588 new cases overnight and 10 deaths overnight, including eight in aged care facilities, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has announced.

“We want to see people come back in a way that they can contribute to the economy,” she said.

Ms Palaszczuk urged Queenslanders to support their local communities.

“We’re just going through this peak in Brisbane and parts of the southeast, but there’s still no reason why you can’t support local businesses,” she said.

Ms Palaszczuk said the case numbers were “encouraging”.

There are now 868 people in both public and private hospitals being treated for Covid.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. Picture: John Gass

The state is also at 92 per cent at one dose and 89.56 per cent fully vaccinated.

Out of the 10 deaths, there were two in their 70s, four in their 80s and four in their 90s of which two were unvaccinated, eight had two doses and none who had received a booster.

Eight of the deaths overnight came from aged care facilities.

Of the 202 Covid deaths in Queensland since the beginning of the Omicron wave in mid December, 107 have been in aged care facilities.

There are 52 people in intensive care including 21 people on ventilators for Covid.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said the Commonwealth’s two payments of $400 to aged care workers was a “slap in the face”.

Health Minister Yvette D'Ath. Picture: John Gass

“What we need is the Royal Commissions recommendations implemented,” she said.

Ms D’Ath said the Commonwealth still hadn’t committed to recommendations looking at staff to patient ratios and instead were providing the one off payments.

“I’m very concerned about what I’m hearing in aged care. I’m hearing residents being locked behind doors for days on end,” she said.

She said the Commonwealth had not yet provided separate reporting on boosters provided to aged care facilities.

Ms D’Ath said she had previously received a letter from Greg Hunt for the state to step in and help out at private aged care facilities with securing staff and PPE.

“I think it’s a bit cheeky for the Commonwealth to constantly stand up and say they’ve got a plan and they’ve managed this when in fact what they’re doing behind closed doors is turning to the states and territories and saying ‘here can you sort this out for us’,” she said.

Chief health officer Dr John Gerrard. Picture: John Gass

Ms D’Ath said that the Commonwealth should be the ones supplying RAT and PPE to aged care facilities and hospitals.

“Where’s the national medical stockpile here?” she said.

Chief health officer Dr John Gerrard said the booster shots are critical from protecting against the more severe outcomes of the virus.

“I think sometimes people don’t appreciate that age in of itself is a risk factor for Covid-19, even if you are otherwise healthy,” he said.

Dr Gerrard said it’s possible the peak has already passed in most of southeast Queensland.

“I think as we see the week progresses, we will continue to see whether these are falling,” he said.

He said falls in hospital admissions were expected in north Brisbane and Sunshine Coast in the coming seven days.

It comes after 7462 new Covid cases and three deaths were recorded on Monday.

Meanwhile, a more infectious strain of the Omicron variant set to become dominant in Australia was first picked up in Queensland, authorities have confirmed.