Man in his 30s among record 18 Qld Covid deaths, 9K cases

Queensland has set a sad new daily record, with 18 people dying of Covid in the past 24 hours, including an unvaccinated man aged in his 30s. A total 9974 cases were recorded. The Premier has also released modelling showing the ‘worst case scenario’.

Queensland has set a sad new daily record, with 18 people dying of Covid in the past 24 hours, including an unvaccinated man aged in his 30s, as the Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk reveals ‘worst case scenario’ modelling.

Of the other deaths, four were their in 60s, four in their 70s, seven in their 80s, two in their 90s. Six of them were unvaccinated, two were double dosed and three had received a booster.

A total 9974 new cases were recorded overnight.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said it was important to understand that unvaccinated people are only making up about eight per cent of Queensland’s population, but currently they’re making up 20-30 per cent of the Covid-related deaths.

Authorities are delivering a Covid update.

The State Government has released modelling around the Omicron wave.

Ms Palaszczuk revealed the ‘worst case scenario’ modelling from 18 days ago that authorities had been planning for with up to 5000 hospital beds expected to be taken at the peak. Modelling suggested even the ‘most likely’ scenario’ was closer to 3000 - much higher than the less than 1000 that eventuated. She said the worse case scenario had 500 patients in ICU.

“We were planning for the worst case scenario, it was quite frightening at the time,” she said.

Chief health officer John Gerrard said “we are doing way better than expected but we don’t want complacency.”

He said the Gold Coast area was showing the clearest signs of reaching the peak.

“It’s Gold Coast predominantly, we haven’t begun to see a clear fall in other parts of Queensland,” he said.

Despite Queensland tracking better than authorities had planned for, Dr Gerrard cautioned people against going out and celebrating, saying the crisis wasn’t over.

Dr Gerrard said the better-than-expected outcome was due to behaviour changes with Queenslanders adapting their behaviour to limit the spread.

“This is not over,” he said.

“The news is good so far but don’t go out and celebrate just yet.”

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

Ms Palaszczuk said it was ‘very heartening’ the situation was even below the lowest case scenario modelling.

“In saying that, we haven’t been past the peak yet, that peak is upon us now in the South East,” she said.

She said vaccinated young people could continue to go out and live their lives but urged elderly people to be ‘very cautious’ about their movements in the next few weeks.

Dr Gerrard said currently 54 people are in ICU.

“Generally the situation is stable,” Dr Gerrard said.

There are now 818 people being treated in hospital which is a slight reduction.

The Premier said more than 1.3 million Queenslanders have received their boosters.

The latest figures come as some schools will be open this weekend for people to get the jab in what the Premier said was a vaccination blitz.

Dr Gerrard repeated that boosters were playing a critical role in minimising severe illness but he said he was not “unduly concerned” about children getting vaccinated.

“I particularly would like to see the teachers get three doses,” he said.

He said disruption to school was expected “because of isolation and quarantine” but it is important for teachers, parents and grandparents to get boosted.

“We are doing better than expected but don’t want complacency either.”

“We have 1.3 million people boosted already which is not too bad but we would like to see more.”

Ms D’Ath said the government hasn’t yet needed to initiate the protocol to bring health workers back to work who tested positive to the virus but were asymptomatic.

“It would be unlikely that we would need to exercise that,” she said.

Ms D’Ath said 2000 health care workers are back at work but the state government is a “long way” from calling any positive staff back.

“We haven’t hit the peak yet and we are starting to see hospitalisations and ICU climb.”

“We have not needed to initiate the protocol of having asymptotic staff come back into the workplace and certainly the way our modelling is tracking it would be unlikely for that to change.”

She said 386 health care workers are currently close contacts.

Ms Palaszczuk said that parents will still have a plan for the return to school “well in advance” despite the start date inching closer.

“Parents will have more than a week to know very clearly what our back to school plan is,” she said.

Meanwhile, a compulsory third jab for workers is now considered all but “inevitable” but one industry group has raised the alarm on the major impact it will have on already disrupted businesses.

Ahead of national cabinet on Thursday, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews gave his strongest indication yet that a vaccinated economy would continue for some.

But advice from the expert immunisation panel about the expansion of the definition of fully vaccinated to include a third jab has not yet been finalised.

When asked if the definition of ‘fully vaccinated’ would include booster shots in the future, Dr Gerrard said it would be considered by national cabinet and ATAGI but it was not appropriate for Queensland to make the call.

Government sources suggest the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation will hand their advice to leaders soon, but could not provide a timeline on when that would occur.

The chief executive of the nation’s biggest employer group has acknowledged the change is unavoidable but raised concerns about what it will mean for businesses.

“It’s almost inevitable this is going to happen and businesses have been asking for weeks about what the rules will be, when will they change and how will they change,” Innes Willox told the Today show on Friday.

“There was enormous upheaval for many businesses when it was mandated that people have two shots.

“In some jurisdictions that led to a lot of people leaving, or a lot of disruption while people made up their choices.

“So business is likely to have to go through this again.”