Gympie Covid: 70 new cases recorded overnight

The number of new Covid cases in the Gympie region has almost doubled overnight as Queensland breaks its record for the highest number of deaths since the pandemic began. UPDATE HERE:

The number of Covid cases recorded in the Gympie region overnight has almost doubled since Monday, January 17, 2022.

There are now 633 active cases in the Gympie local government area, with another 70 new cases recorded overnight.

This was almost double the number of new cases recorded on Monday, which was 37.

It comes as specific data such as how many cases were under investigation are no longer being published by Queensland Health.

A Queensland Health spokesperson said there were no Covid patients at the Gympie Hospital.

A Queensland Health spokesperson told The Gympie Times there were no Covid patients in the Gympie Hospital at the time of publishing.

One person has died from Covid in the Sunshine Coast and Gympie Health and Hospital region overnight as Queensland recorded 16 deaths, the highest number to-date.

The Gympie Times has reached out to Queensland Health to confirm if the person was from the Gympie region.

Meanwhile, Wide Bay residents continue to fight an uphill battle against a national scarcity of rapid antigen tests (RATs), amid claims some outlets were price gouging on their own stock.

Queensland Health Minister Yvette D’Ath addressed a federal government announcement claiming free RAT tests would be provided to public testing clinics in a press conference on Tuesday morning,

Ms D’Ath said Queensland was not included in this rollout, and the state would only receive 100,000 RATs from the Commonwealth on Wednesday.

“Fifty thousand of those are point of care tests that aren’t really suitable for public clinics,” she said.

TOTALS (as of Wednesday, January 12) – when the last breakdown was available from Qld Health

Cooloola – 50

Gympie region – 111

South – 58

North – 116

Kilkivan – 18

* Gympie region encompasses the areas outside the city, including the Mary Valley, Curra and Gunalda.