Cairns Covid and flu: Health authorities provide update

Health authorities have confirmed the situation of flu cases after modelling predicted 700 beds would be needed in the peak flu season by mid June.

HEALTH authorities have confirmed the winter flu crisis they were initially worried about has eased, with a decline in casesacross the Far North.

Cairns Hinterland and Health Service COVID-19 Response executive director, Dr Donna Goodman said Cairns initially had a big increase in flu cases but they have decreased.

“We’ve been very concerned both in Cairns and Hinterland and across Queensland about the flu cases because they have been increasing enormously,” she said.

“We had some modelling done and we were expecting we would need about 700 beds at the height of the flu season in the middle of June.”

Cairns Hinterland Hospital and Health Service Incident Controller for the Covid response, Donna Goodman, at the mobile coronavirus testing van at Port Douglas. PHOTO: Mark Murray

Dr Goodman said the initial concern was when Cairns had a third of the cases in the state due to a number of different reasons including a high number of tourists but it wasn’t as bad as they feared.

“We actually only have six Covid patients in hospital in the whole of the Health and Hinterland Service now and we’ve got a similar number of flu patients so case numbers for both are going down.”

This comes as the main Covid vaccination hub closes at The Pier Shopping Centre on Sunday. Covid testing clinics at 43 Aumuller St, Portsmith; Tully, Innisfail, Atherton, Mareeba and Mossman hospitals will also be shutting this weekend.

Covid and flu vaccinations will still be available at pharmacies and GPs.

Dr Goodman said since the start of the pandemic they administered 541,000 Covid vaccinations and more than 235,000 Covid tests.

Originally published as Cairns Covid and flu: Health authorities provide update