Qld jab rate spikes as CHO issues warning on masks indoors

Two planeloads of passengers will spend Christmas in quarantine after a Covid case travelled to Qld from Newcastle, where possibly the world’s biggest Omicron superspreader event is unfolding.

Two planeloads of passengers will spend Christmas in quarantine after a person with Covid flew into Brisbane and Townsville on Monday.

The positive case, confirmed by Queensland Health on Tuesday night, is understood to be a member of the Defence Force.

In an unusual step all passengers were deemed close contacts.

The case appears to be an interstate traveller who was on Flight VA1105 from Newcastle to Brisbane on Monday, before heading into the Virgin departures terminal from 12.15pm to 2.05pm before boarding Flight VA375 to Townsville, and arriving in the Townsville domestic arrival gate and baggage carousel from 4.10pm to 4.25pm.

All passengers on both of the flights have been listed as close contacts while those in the airport areas are listed as casual contacts.

Newcastle is currently at the centre of a mass cluster following a nightclub party where an increasing number of attendees have tested positive to Covid-19.

Health officials said that more than 650 people checked in at the event and as of Tuesday morning, 150 people had tested positive, most likely with the new Omicron variant.

Experts have said it could turn into one of highest-transmission events this year in any single venue “probably anywhere in the world”.

There are also nine new exposure sites in Goondiwindi, relating to Monday and Tuesday this week, and last Friday.

The border town is retaining its crown as the highest vaccinated area in the state, reaching 93.3 per cent double jabbed, according to the latest federal health department data.

There has been a spike in jab rates in other regions, with several closing in on the 90 per cent first dose milestone.

Passengers on a Virgin Australia flight from Newcastle to Brisbane and Brisbane to Townsville have been listed as close contacts after a new Covid-19 case was detected in Queensland. Picture: David Clark

It comes as the chief health officer issued a blunt warning to the unvaccinated that easing restrictions for them was not on the agenda.

Dr John Gerrard has also revealed Queenslanders may need to wear masks should Covid-19 begin circulating widely in the community, and authorities believe Omicron will become the dominant variant around the world within weeks or months.

Four new cases were recorded in Queensland on Tuesday, including a returned overseas traveller who’s tested positive to Omicron.

The other three were interstate travellers - however all four were detected in quarantine.

Analysis by The Courier-Mail can reveal multiple regions have recorded more than a 4 per cent increase in jab rates over the last seven days including the Whitsundays which grew by 5 per cent.

The Isaac region also grew by about 5 per cent, while Gladstone, Rockhampton and Gympie all increased by about 4 per cent.

The Gold Coast reached 80 per cent fully vaccinated just in time for borders to reopen and was joined by Cairns, Logan and Ipswich which had similarly been lagging behind the milestone until now.

There’s even been a doubling of people getting the vaccine on the Gold Coast on Monday.

The next best council areas are Redlands and Noosa, on 89 and 86.7 per cent respectively.

Brisbane is likely to reach 90 per cent fully vaccinated, currently sitting at 84.8 per cent double dose and 89.6 with at least one.

Queensland's newly appointed chief health officer Dr John Gerrard. Picture: Dan Peled/Getty Images)

As of Monday, when the data was collated, there were 19 Queensland councils which had officially reached the 80 per cent fully vaccinated milestone.

But the majority are expected to reach it before Christmas, with regions like Somerset, Logan, South Burnett, Scenic Rim and Cassowary Coast just shy of 80 per cent.

Just four council areas, out of the 40 where data is available, have yet to reach the 80 per cent single-dose milestone.

Cherbourg, Yarrabah, Isaac are lagging behind with 62-69 per cent first-dose vaccinated, while Mareeba is set to tip over shortly having reached 79.1 per cent with at least the first jab.

Queensland’s first dose rate is now 88.6 per cent with 82 per cent of residents now fully vaccinated.

Dr Gerrard said authorities weren’t looking at removing restrictions for the unvaccinated.

“It’s not even something that’s on the agenda,” he said.

“The immediate priority for the unvaccinated is to protect them from infection, that means to keep unvaccinated people away from crowded environments.

“You’ll remember that these hospitality locations have had a lot of their restrictions lifted so vaccinated people can live their lives normally.

“It’s not fair on the vaccinated to ask them to make sacrifices for the very small number of people who have not become vaccinated.”

The CHO revealed it was “likely” the mask mandate would return for indoor settings once outbreaks began to spread in the community.

“It is likely to come back, mainly for indoors,” he said.

“(But) at this stage we are not finding evidence of sustained community transmission.”

Dr Gerrard said it was too early for the opening of Queensland’s border to have had an impact on case numbers.

He said Omicron would likely become the dominant strain around the world in coming weeks and months.

Speaking ahead of the mandate coming into effect on Friday, Treasurer Cameron Dick said there was “no place” for abuse of retail or hospitality workers.

“People need to understand that the decisions we have made have been careful and cautious and to keep Queenslanders safe,” he said.