Sunshine Coast, Noosa Covid-19 numbers: Almost 2000 recorded

Sunshine Coast and Noosa have recorded almost 2000 Covid-19 cases as testing woes continue with long queues and early closures. See the latest figures.

The Sunshine Coast and Noosa regions have recorded hundreds of new Covid-19 cases as testing sites become overwhelmed and rapid test kits sell out.

The latest Queensland Health data shows the Sunshine Coast has 1950 total cases – up from 1606 on Monday.

Of those, 476 were in the Noosa local government area and 1155 in the Sunshine Coast – but hundreds more cases remain under investigation.

Some testing sites closed within hours of opening on Tuesday due to reaching capacity while other private pathology clinics did not reopen at all after the public holiday.

Dozens of pharmacies and supermarkets have also reported to having sold out of rapid antigen tests.

Queensland chief health officer Dr John Gerrard said people should stay home for seven days if they have Covid-19 symptoms but cannot access a PCR or rapid test.

“We know there are going to be many more cases not yet confirmed,” Dr Gerrard said.

“The percentage of tests coming back confirmed has increased significantly. Queensland Pathology said 23 per cent of tests came back positive (on Monday).”

Queensland Health Minister Yvette D'Ath talks at a Covid press conference at Valley Discount Drug Store. Picture: John Gass

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said some 4Cyte, QML and Sullivan Nicolaides sites did not reopen on Tuesday.

She said the 4Cyte clinics – including one at Birtinya – would not reopen until January 9.

Others were affected by staffing shortages and some Sullivan Nicolaides clinics have been engaged for testing at residential aged care facilities.

For more information about testing clinics click here.

“We know this is putting a strain across the whole testing system,” she said.

Ms D’Ath said there were three reasons people should get a PCR test: if you have Covid-19 symptoms or have returned a positive rapid antigen test or if you are a household contact.

She said the state government was sourcing rapid tests “as quickly as possible”.

Software agency PipeLabs has created the Find A RAT website which allows people to access data on the chemists and supermarkets which have stock available.

The website data is crowdsourced from user reports, who are able to mark a store green for ‘in stock’, orange for ‘low stock’, or red for ‘no stock’.

Dozens of pharmacies contacted by the Sunshine Coast Daily on Tuesday reported not having any stock of the rapid tests and not knowing when they would receive them.