Surge in Covid hospitalisations as monkeypox arrives in Queensland

The number of Queenslanders hospitalised with Covid-19 is rising sharply and is “likely” to exceed 1000 despite the third pandemic wave not expected to peak until next month and the threat of more waves to continue for “some considerable time”.

The number of people being treated in hospital for Covid-19 is almost as high as it was during the state’s first peak earlier this year, with the third pandemic wave still at least a month away from peaking.

It comes as more than 6000 cases were recorded in Queensland in Tuesday.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said there were almost 1000 patients in hospital with the virus, almost matching the total reached in the first Omicron peak.

“We have 928 hospital beds across our public and private system of Covid and influenza cases,” she said.

“This means that we have almost the same number of beds being taken up at our peak of the first wave of Omicron.”

More than 2300 health staff are furloughed because of Covid-19.

Ms D’Ath said the most hospital and health services have moved to tier 3 meaning elective surgeries were being delayed across the state.

Queensland has never exceeded a thousand Covid-19 hospitalisations according to state health data, but the current number of pandemic patients is similar to rates seen just days before the peak of the first wave in January.

Chief health officer Dr John Gerrard, writing for the Courier-Mail earlier this week, said the current wave was “at least a month away from peaking”, adding on Tuesday that the peak would not come before the beginning of August.

Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr John Gerrard. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

Queensland Health confirmed there were 15 more Covid-related deaths in the past 24 hours bringing the total pandemic toll to nearly 1340 people.

A total of 12 people are in intensive care.

Chief health officer John Gerrard said most of the people requiring oxygen were largely over the age of 65. He said there had been 10 known deaths caused by the BA. 4 and 5 sub variants, with eight of those not up to date with their vaccinations.

Queenslanders have been reminded to wear a mask on public transport and in vulnerable settings like aged care facilities. They are strongly encouraged for crowded areas.

He reiterated that it was unlikely a mask mandate would be introduced again and that the waves would continue for some time.

Dr Gerrard also said the Ekka would still go ahead.

He said it was inevitable that there would be outbreaks on cruise ships, following news of the outbreak on the Coral Princess, which is docked in Brisbane.

He said to keep the virus off a ship during the pandemic, particularly when cases were so high, would be extraordinarily difficult.

Health department data revealed a whopping 17,979 Queenslanders rolled up their sleeve for the fourth Covid-19 jab on the first day it became available to the wider population.

This is compared to the 4735 people who got their fourth jab on Monday last week.

Dr Gerrard said he believed the message about booster shots was getting through to people, with significant uptake recorded over the past 24-48 hours, but updated vaccination data shows a significant gulf between Queensland’s best and least protected areas.

Those getting their third booster increased slightly, with 1711 turning up for the jab on Monday.

Brisbane’s north and west side, including Brookfield, Indooroopilly, the Gap, and Everton Park had more than 70 per cent of its populations armed with boosters.

But areas like Jimboomba, Browns Plains, Biloela, Ormeau and Oxenford had Covid-19 vaccine booster coverage of under 55 per cent.

Queensland still has the lowest take-up rate for the third shot, with just 63.7 per cent of the eligible population now covered.

Queensland authorities are managing a COVID-19 outbreak on the cruise ship Coral Princes. Photo Supplied 7News Brisbane

Deakin University infectious disease expert Professor Catherine Bennett said it was important people kept up their Covid-19 immunity with vaccinations.

“Because otherwise (Covid-19) just gets better and better at challenging us with uncontrolled infections across the globe (and) that’s the recipe for new variants unfortunately,” she said.

Griffith University virologist Professor Nigel McMillan said it was it was likely “fewer and fewer” people would be getting follow up Covid-19 vaccines due to fatigue and complacency.

He said the Omicron-specific update to Covid-19 vaccines, including Pfizer’s, would “make a big difference” if they were available in Australia now.

“If we had that vaccine today, we would have far fewer infections and obviously far fewer hospitalisations,” Prof McMillan said.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration last week granted Pfizer provisional determinations for updated jabs, allowing the manufacturer to lodge documents to get full approval for the vaccines to be delivered in Australia.

The TGA said it would “undertake a rigorous assessment of the safety, efficacy and quality of these vaccines with the highest priority” once Pfizer had lodged its documentation.

Meanwhile Dr Gerrard said there were 156 new influenza cases.

“There is a clear decline in the number of influenza cases,” he said.

Dr Gerrard also revealed there were two close contacts of the horse in Mackay that contracted the Hendra virus.

He said those contacts were receiving an antibody treatment.

One of them has mild respiratory symptoms however authorities don’t believe that’s because of Hendra.

Dr Gerrard said he wasn’t concerned about Monkeypox and that Queensland’s case was recovering.