Qld Covid-19: Qld scraps day five test, 1158 new cases

Queensland has recorded 1158 new cases of Covid-19, with the state this morning scrapping the requirement for a day five Covid-19 test for interstate travellers. A negative test 72 hours before entering the state is still necessary.

Queensland has recored 1158 new cases of Covid-19 as the state bows to pressure to scrap the requirement for a day five Covid-19 test for interstate travellers.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said the PCR test rule was picking up less than one in 10 positive cases.

Chief health officer Dr John Gerrard revealed 0.6 per cent of people who had gotten a day five test had tested positive.

He said it was evident it was “not contributing in any way to the safety of Queenslanders” and that resources were better focussed on other responses to escalating cases, including testing those who have been exposed to a known infection.

The data came from a sample of 24,084 day five tests conducted in southeast Queensland in the past seven days.

People entering the state still need to be able to show a negative test result within the past 72 hours.

Queensland Health Minister Yvette D'Ath with chief health officer Dr John Gerrard. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

Ms D’Ath defended the importance of the pre-arrival PCR test, saying there were many people who had found themselves to be positive just before coming into Queensland due to the rule.

She reiterated the state was looking at whether it could move to rapid antigen tests from January 1 but warned there needed to be adequate supply of the DIY kits.

“To say you don’t need to line up for PCR test in New South Wales and Victoria, for example, and then people find they can’t get access to a RAT test. That’s not going to fix the problem,” Ms D’Ath said.

“So we need to make sure that there’s supply and we’re working for those at the moment.”

Ms D’Ath said she understood the pressure on travellers and on resources interstate.

“We are less than 4 per cent away from hitting 90 per cent double dose where a PCR test would not be required,” she said.

The state now has 4479 active cases, but Dr Gerrard said there were still only six patients in hospital requiring active care for “significant” Covid-19.

No-one is in intensive care or on ventilation.

“So far we are not seeing large numbers being admitted to hospital,” he told reporters.

Dr Gerrard said some new infections were going to hospital, despite only being mildly affected by the virus, which he said was not necessary.

He urged Queenslanders to only seek hospital care if they have extreme symptoms such as breathlessness.

Queensland Police Service Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said some people were travelling into the state without a negative result, and that they could be put into hotel quarantine at their own cost until they receive a negative result.

“That’s when our officers will look at these things on a case-by-case basis and make a decision,” he said.

Mr Gollschewski acknowledged some people had done a test 72 hours before entering Queensland and were still waiting for a result.

“This is where you get a conflict between what’s happening and what the legal requirements are,” he said.

He said officers would consider “each case on its merits” but said “people have the obligation” to make sure they do everything they can to get results back in time.

Ms D’Ath said the Premier was still assessing whether rapid antigen testing could be used for the 72-hour test before entering the state.

She called for the Commonwealth to ensure the rapid testing kit was available across the country, but said the government would take advice on expand the window to 96 hours.

Queensland recorded more than 700 cases of Covid-19 on Monday, and the Government was under pressure to move more quickly on changes to Covid-19 testing rules.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Monday revealed that day-five PCR tests for interstate travellers could soon be dumped in favour of rapid antigen tests, but she said then that changes were unlikely before the end of the year.

Ms Palaszczuk blamed the closure of private clinics over Christmas for testing difficulties, which have continued on Tuesday morning with people being turned away and waits blowing out to more than three hours by 9am.

It comes as the Brisbane watch house has been hit by a fresh Covid case.

According to the Queensland Health website, anyone at the Brisbane Watch House on Roma St between December 23- December 27 has been listed as a casual contact.

It’s not yet known if the case was a staff member or a person in watch house custody.

New South Wales has today recorded 6062 new cases and numbers have spiked to 2738 in Victoria.