Qld’s third Covid wave peaks earlier than expected

Health authorities have confirmed the third Covid wave has peaked in Queensland, with a warning about when cases will likely rise again.

Health authorities have said Queensland’s third Covid wave has peaked but revealed the next Covid wave was likely only months away.

Chief health officer Dr John Gerrard said it was clear that the third pandemic wave has now peaked in Queensland.

“This is much earlier than national modelling has predicted,” he said.

Queensland has today recorded 2504 new cases, with the number of active cases across the state dropping to 35,482.

No deaths have been reported in the past 24 hours, but 667 people are in hospital, with 26 being treated in ICU.

Queensland chief health officer Dr John Gerrard says the third wave has peaked. Picture: Jerad Williams

Dr Gerrard said the number of hospitalisations was a 48 per cent drop since the wave peaked, which authorities believe was about July 26.

“We still believe it is likely there will be a further wave this year, after another three months,” he said.

Dr Gerrard said the current projection would be December for the start of the next wave, but the state couldn’t predict the severity of it yet.

He said that while there was activity of new variants around at the moment, a third wave didn’t depend on the emergence of another variant.

He expected each wave would be less severe.

Dr Gerrard said the national strategy of the four key prevention measures has worked to pass the peak of the wave early.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath urged people to get boosted as rates are lacking in younger demographics, and those who are eligible to get the antiviral medications.

“By making antivirals more accessible to more people has meant an 800 per cent increase in four weeks,” she said.

Meanwhile, the monkeypox vaccine is being rolled out nationally, and will be “highly targeted” according to Dr Gerrard.

“Initially the number of doses will be small and increase in the coming weeks and months,” he said.