Qld records 5,699 new Covid cases, 11 in ICU as caseload ‘increases substantially'

Queensland’s Covid cases have again spiked with 5,699 new cases and 11 people in ICU with the CHO warning cases will reach ‘hundreds of thousands’ throughout January. 23 per cent of all tests are now coming back positive.

Queensland can expect ‘hundreds of thousands of cases’ throughout January with the state recording 5,699 new Covid cases in the past 24 hours amid another spike with 170 people now in hospital, 11 in ICU.

There are now 25,924 active cases in the state with two people on ventilators as the outbreak ‘increases substantially’ with 33,312 people tested in the past 24 hours.

Chief Health Officer Dr John Gerrard warned the number of cases in Queensland was expected to hit ‘hundreds of thousands’ throughout January.

“The number of cases we are expecting to see through January will be very high. Certainly in the hundreds of thousands, if not more - very high,” said Dr Gerrard.

It came as health authorities urged Queenslanders to get their third vaccine shot as cases again spiked with 23 per cent of all tests now coming back positive, according to Dr Gerrard.

He said all settings were changing rapidly because the Omicron strain had “changed everything”, with one person, on average, infecting between seven and 10 others.

COVID-19 Update: The Health Minister is speaking in Brisbane. #covid19https://t.co/msmZA8M9eL

— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) January 4, 2022

Dr Gerrard said the state’s caseload had “increased substantially”, which revealed there were still a large number of cases still to be confirmed.

“This suggests that there are more people in the community with Covid-19 yet to be picked up,” he said.

“This is a clearly contagious, very contagious virus.”

Dr Gerrard apologised to those people trying to be tested who couldn’t get one as testing queues blow out amid mass chaos with scores of testing clinics failing to reopen today.

“My heart goes out” to those left languishing in long lines at testing clinics, the top doctor said.

But he said Queenslanders should only be getting a PCR test if they’ve been notified as a close contact or have returned a positive rapid test.

Massive Covid testing lines amid more chaos in Queensland.

He said if people were sick and were not easily able to get tested, they should assume they had Covid and stay at home.

If people were breathless, had chest pain, fainted or had severe light-headedness, they should call an ambulance.

If people’s symptoms did not improve after the third day, they should also seek medical attention.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath recognised the “very long lines” across the state for people waiting for Covid tests with some private clinics still waiting to reopen for testing after the holiday period, which had compounded the screening capacity across the state with long lines and extended delays for results.

Ms D’Ath said she had been told some private clinics had advised they would not reopen for days and Queensland Health was seeking clarity.

“We know this is putting a strain across the whole testing system and we do ask for people’s patience,” she said.

Ms D’Ath said authorities were in constant contact with private clinics, but had assumed many would reopen today.

She said she was aware some hadn’t opened today because they didn’t have enough staff, including because they were in quarantine.

Queensland Health Minister Yvette D'Ath explained private pathology clinic closures had put a strain on the system. Picture: John Gass

“This is happening across the country,” she said.

“We are as prepared as we can be.

“Have a look at what is happening around the world.

“This is not unique to Australia.

“My understanding is that we reached out to all the private pathologists to talk about them opening up after the Christmas break,” she said.

“... We can’t direct a private pathologist to open, we can’t force their staff to go to work if they’re positive.”

She said everyone was “doing their absolute best”.

Dr Gerrard said he wasn’t in a position to demand the private sector open their clinics over the Christmas period.

Chief Health Officer Dr John Gerrard. Picture: Zak Simmonds

Those who cannot get a test, but are symptomatic, should assume they have Covid and quarantine until they could get a test, Ms D’Ath said.

She said even when testing is shifted to Rapid Antigen Tests, there would still be supply issues.

Ms D’Ath said people going to get PCR tests should only be doing so because they are symptomatic, because they had recorded a positive rapid antigen test, or because they were a close contact on day six of their isolation and they couldn't get access to a rapid antigen test.

She said authorities would make sure they got RATs to testing facilities in coming days so that people could collect RATs and test themselves at home.

“This will take a couple of days to get these to our sites,” she said.

Ms D’Ath said the millions of new rapid tests acquired by the state government will be used at facilities to “ease some of these pressures” at the testing clinics.

She urged people to be ready for long lines, with adequate water supply and food.

People line up for hours for Covid testing at the Royal Brisbane Women's Hospital. Picture: John Gass

She hoped some more private pathologies could come online in coming days to alleviate the waits.

“I want to give a big shout out to all of our staff and our volunteers who are working these testing clinics and also to the public for their patience,” she said.

Ms D’Ath stressed: “Don’t wait, please come out and get your booster”.

She also stressed the significance of the second jab, revealing a number of Queenslanders with one shot were delaying coming forward to complete their protection against Covid-19.

“Many people that you know” will have the virus, Ms D’Ath said, revealing the rampant community spread.

She said the state had now recorded cases on Mornington Island, which is an indigenous gulf community.

Ms D’Ath defended continuing to require travellers coming into Queensland to get negative RAT tests first.

She said that was about slowing the virus in Queensland and the roadmap, which saw that requirement until Queensland was 90 per cent double vaccinated, remained.

She said the government was looking at how they could boost capacity.

She defended the government’s reopening plans, saying that Omicron had changed the landscape as she was asked whether it would drop the RAT requirements for interstate travellers given the unprecedented testing demands around the country.

She said the government would be flexible on its 90 per cent target, if that was the health advice.

Dr Gerrard said these issues were being discussed every day.

Ms D’Ath she would contact Health Minister Greg Hunt over whether the federal government should use private pathologists to go into aged care homes to screen them in outbreaks.

She said that had happened today with Sullivan Nicolaides.

She said that may need to be rethought considering it was taking capacity away from PCR testing of symptomatic people in the community.

Ms D’Ath also appealed to the TGA to fast track tests that were in the approval process.

“The more manufacturers that we have in our own country ... the more we can produce this in Australia, the better we’ll be,” she said.

She refused to be drawn on criticism of Prime Minister Scott Morrison for not making RATs free.

“It is not appropriate to talk about what happens in national cabinet,” she said.

But she said she was on the public record saying she believed they should be heavily subsidised or free.

“We don’t want to become a society where only those who can afford it get to get tested,” she said.

Authorities appealed to the community to be better at wearing masks, with many people on the Gold Coast observed by police not wearing masks on Monday.

A high percentage of those people stopped were actually from interstate.

It comes after 4249 new cases on Monday and the death of a man aged in his late 30s in his Gold Coast home.

Dr Gerrard said the death was under investigation, but the man had tested positive to Covid using a rapid antigen test.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk urged Queenslanders to “think seriously” about where they’re going as Covid-19 runs rampant through the community.

Meanwhile, queues at Covid testing clinics across South East Queensland have blown out on Tuesday morning, with reports some people face a seven-hour wait as of 7.30am.