Coronavirus Qld: Annastacia Palaszczuk with latest on COVID cases, trans-Tasman bubble and vaccine

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has demanded more transparency from the Federal Government around vaccination numbers to give people confidence in the vaccine rollout. It comes as Queensland records six new cases.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has called for the Federal Government to release vaccination figures daily to give the public confidence in the vaccine rollout.

It comes as Queensland records six new cases in the past 24 hours – all detected in hotel quarantine and acquired overseas.

Ms Palaszczuk said there were now 73 active cases in hospitals., 57 of those overseas-acquired cases. Twenty-six of those are from Papua New Guinea.

There were 5396 vaccinations in the past 24 hours.

The Premier offered her condolences to the family of a Papua New Guinea man, 77, who died from COVID-19 complications in the Redcliffe Hospital on Monday.

Ms Palaszczuk said National Cabinet would meet on Friday and “front and centre” would be the nation’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout.

She said Queensland Health was responsible for 30 per cent of the rollout and the Federal Government, 70 per cent.

Ms Palaszczuk called for increased transparency from the Federal Government around the vaccine rollout.

She said vaccination figures every day would give the public much more confidence in the vaccine rollout.

“Supply is the critical issue here,” she said.

Ms Palaszczuk said she had not given up on the establishment of a quarantine facility at Wellcamp near Toowoomba.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. Picture: Tertius Pickard

Ms Palaszczuk said national cabinet would be very important this week.

“Front and centre will undoubtedly be the vaccine rollout and making sure that we get transparency in terms of our numbers,” she said. “We’re responsible for 30 per cent of the rollout.”

Ms Palaszczuk said Australia should not look at establishing travel bubbles with countries, other than New Zealand, until the vaccine rollout was sorted out.

The Premier said she would also be writing to the Prime Minister about holding a national women’s summit.

She said issues around affordable child care and pay gaps were things that needed to be addressed.

“I also think issues of sexual harassment in the workplace is really important,” she said.

“The time is now right to hold a national women’s summit.”

Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young Picture: Annette Dew

Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said Queenslanders needed to keep getting tested and adhering to the current restrictions.

She said it was excellent news that the state had not recorded a locally acquired case in the past 24 hours.

Dr Young said although the PNG man died of COVID-19 complications, he was not infectious when he was being cared for at the Redcliffe Hospital.

Dr Young said high-level meetings were underway about elective surgery delays because of the outbreaks at the Princess Alexandra Hospital.

she said about half of people would get a “significant response” to having the COVID-19 vaccine, putting them in bed for one or two days.

“That’s part of the issue why we’re staggering the rollout,” she said.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath thanked Queensland for their “high compliance” with mask wearing during ongoing COVID-19 restrictions introduced as a result of two clusters, which emerged last month out of the Princess Alexandra Hospital.

Queensland Health Minister Yvette D'Ath. Picture: Richard Walker

Ms D’Ath welcomed Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s acknowledgment this week that supply of the COVID-19 vaccine was an issue.

“We put out our figures every day, I’m asking the Federal Government to put out their figures every day,” she said.

“Let’s have that transparency.”

She said Queensland had about 14 days of supply of the vaccines.

Ms D’Ath said this included seven days’ supply of Pfizer.

She said there has not been confirmation of another delivery within the next fortnight.

Queensland looks likely to reach 100,000 vaccinations tomorrow.

“I’m very proud of our vaccination staff who are working tirelessly,” Ms D’Ath said.

“We are now at 94,762.”

Deputy Premier Steven Miles called for “open, honest, transparent” communication around COVID-19 vaccine supply issues.

Ms Palaszczuk also said it was good news that the Australia-New Zealand travel bubble would resume on April 19.

The Brisbane Airport is expecting up to 39 services per week in the first week of the bubble, split between Qantas and Air New Zealand.

After a year of doom and gloom, Queensland Tourism Industry Council CEO Daniel Gschwind said the announcement was “fantastic news” and invited New Zealand Prime

Minister Jacinda Ardern to travel across the ditch for a Queensland holiday.

For decades New Zealand was Queensland’s biggest international tourism market, before being pipped by China five years ago.