Queensland teachers to jump Covid-19 vaccination queue as state waits for lockdown call

The state’s teachers will be able to jump the Covid-19 vaccination queue in an attempt to help keep schools open. It comes as Queenslanders wait to hear if the lockdown will be lifted today.

EXCLUSIVE

Teachers will jump to the front of the Covid-19 vaccination queue to help keep the state’s schools open as tough lockdown restrictions that have impacted millions of Queenslanders for eight days move closer to being lifted.

As the southeast waits to hear whether they’ll be relieved from strict stay-at-home orders this afternoon, the Sunday Mail can also reveal an exhibition hall in the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre will be transformed into the region’s largest mass vaccination hub.

It’s understood the centre, which will operate out of the exhibition hall nearest to Melbourne Street, will open sometime this week and ramp up as increased vaccine supplies arrive in coming months.

Teachers, childcare workers, FIFO workers and freight and distribution centre workers will also be added to Queensland’s 1B vaccination priority list as the state continues to battle a swelling cluster of Delta-infected cases.

Another 13 cases were recorded on Saturday but all were linked to the Indooroopilly cluster and all had spent their infectious periods in home quarantine.

A further two exposure sites were also uploaded late yesterday – the Lions Rugby Union Club sports field in Karana Downs and the Woolworths at the Mudgeeraba Market Shopping Centre.

Chief health officer Jeannette Young was on Saturday waiting to see the latest results this morning before deciding whether the lockdown would end, insisting it was crucial that Queenslanders kept getting tested.

“So that we make sure there aren’t any unknown cases out there because this outbreak has only been going for a short period so there could still be cases there,” she said.

“Very, very important to keep wearing masks, that’s critical as we go forward.”

Dr Young didn’t rule out extending Brisbane’s lockdown by a couple of days if she wasn’t satisfied with how the situation was unfolding, saying it depended on what the numbers were this morning.

“So today’s (Saturday) numbers are encouraging but I really can’t predict what tomorrow (Sunday) will be,” she said.

“I need those numbers before we have a decision.”

But authorities are reluctant to keep people locked down longer than is necessary.

Dr Young said businesses should look at what restrictions remained in place following previous lockdowns to prepare for when the current orders are lifted.

“It’s most likely that’s what we’ll do again,” she said.

Deputy Premier Steven Miles said there would be more cases with authorities expecting more household contacts to test positive.

Queensland chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young watches Deputy Premier Steven Miles during a media conference to provide a Covid update, at Parliament House in Brisbane. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

“What’s most important is that they are not outside of their household, that they are not infectious in their community,” he said.

More than 10,000 people are now in home quarantine.

Mr Miles said whether the restrictions were eased today or not, those 10,091 people will need to stay at home.

“Depending on their circumstances, that could be for some time,” he said.

Meanwhile Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk will today announce new sectors that will be considered a priority for getting the jab.

“The Delta strain has taken a heavy toll on our schools and we need to provide the best possible protection for staff and students,” she said.

Under the change, anyone working in an early learning, primary, secondary or special school now falls under the high-risk priority group.

“This includes childcare educators, teachers, teacher aides, management and administrative staff, groundskeepers, cleaners, locum staff, regular volunteers and other ancillary school and early learning support staff,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“As we have done every step of the way, we will listen to the expert advice of the chief health officer to keep Queenslanders safe – and that’s what we are doing now.”

The move follows a push by the Queensland Teachers’ Union and the Opposition for teachers to be vaccinated.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said the unpredictability of the Delta strain had changed the game in schools.

“We want to do everything we can to protect staff working in school and in childcare centres,” she said.

“By protecting them, this provides extra protection for our young people.”

Education Minister Grace Grace encouraged all education workers to get vaccinated.

“Staff in schools and childcare centres across Queensland are now able to register for a vaccination on the Queensland Health website,” she said.

“I am also asking schools to be as flexible as possible when it comes to assisting staff to access leave to attend their vaccination appointments.”

Meanwhile Opposition Leader David Crisafulli has accused Ms Palaszczuk of “barely” mentioning the word “vaccine” across her social media platforms in recent weeks.

“In a message to our state this week she did not mention the word vaccine once,” he said.

“Our ticket to freedom is vaccination.

“Yet in Australia our vaccination rates aren’t what they should be and in Queensland we have the lowest rate of any state or territory in the country.”

The Opposition is pushing for the state government to roll out an advertising campaign to boost vaccine uptake, with health spokeswoman Ros Bates urging the government to act now so Queensland “isn’t left behind as the rest of the country hits their targets and moves on”.

But a spokesman for the Premier said Mr Crisafulli’s “assertion is factually incorrect”.

“The Premier’s social media carried the ‘get vaccinated’ message 12 times in the past three days,” he said.