‘Not quite there yet’: Ekka crowds urged to wear mask indoors

Ekka showgoers have been urged to wear a mask if they are indoors to minimise the spread of Covid-19, as another 18 deaths were recorded overnight.

Queensland has recorded another 4174 Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours as hospital admissions continue to fall amid the third wave of the virus.

Queensland Health announced on Saturday that another 18 people had lost their lives with Covid, while known active cases were sitting at 39,698.

There are now 703 patients in hospital, down from 736 the day before, as the number of hospital admissions continues to trend downwards.

There are also 26 patients being treated in intensive care, which is four more than the day before.

State government minister Mark Bailey has urged Ekka showgoers to wear a mask if they are indoors to minimise the spread of Covid. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

The state government had released modelling last month suggesting that hospital admissions could reach as high as 1660 during the current wave.

As the Ekka kicked off on Saturday, government Minister Mark Bailey urged showgoers to wear a mask if they were indoors to minimise the spread of the virus.

“If you’re outdoors, you should be pretty OK,” he said.

“But if you can’t socially-distance, keep the mask with you.

“We all know from years gone by, pre-Covid, the flu season around Ekka was always a thing.

“And it was a very real thing, because there was transmission.

“We just need to minimise the transmission at the Ekka while having a good time.”

Mr Bailey said the reopening of the Ekka after cancellations in recent years was “another step forward to normalcy returning”.

“But we’re not quite there yet with Covid,” he said.

“We’ve seen 18 deaths overnight.

“And that’s a very serious situation still. What I say to people is we’re nearly there, but just keep listening to the health advice.”