Unvaccinated Sunshine Coast resident dies from Covid-19, third confirmed death in two years

The Sunshine Coast has recorded its second Covid-19 related death in 48 hours as case numbers soar above 10,000.

The Sunshine Coast has recorded its second Covid-19 related death in just two days as the region’s case numbers spike above 10,000 for the first time since the pandemic first broke out.

Chief health officer John Gerrard said three unvaccinated people had died since Thursday – two of the deaths were people in their 70s while another was in their 60s.

Queensland Health has confirmed one of those deaths was in the Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service region.

chief health officer Dr John Gerrard addresses the media at a press conference. Picture: NewsWire / Sarah Marshall

This comes a day after Queensland recorded six deaths, including one fatality from the Sunshine Coast.

Two of those deaths were people in their 70s, three were in their 80s and one in their 90s.

One of those deaths was unvaccinated.

However, the Department refuses to clarify whether the latest two Sunshine Coast deaths included a 64-year-old Yandina woman who died suddenly in her sleep while battling Covid-19 on January 7.

Sunshine Coast has now had three confirmed Covid-19-related deaths since the pandemic hit Queensland almost two years ago.

A 77-year-old Noosaville woman died in March 2020 after contracting Covid.

The woman had returned to Noosa on a flight from Sydney when her condition deteriorated significantly and she was rushed to hospital but could not be saved.

Dr Gerrard said the Covid deaths were happening in a range of settings, including hospitals, aged care facilities, and homes and some people had a short period of illness and then sudden death – often from the heart condition myocarditis.

The Sunshine Coast and Noosa regions have recorded 1105 new confirmed cases in 24 hour hours, bringing the total to 10,752 recorded cases since the start of the pandemic.

It comes as more than 23,000 cases were recorded across Queensland overnight, including 589 people who are being treated in hospital.

Of those 41 patients were in intensive care, with 15 on ventilators.

Dr Gerrard urged people to continue to get vaccinated or receive their booster shot if eligible.

He said Queensland was about two weeks behind NSW case levels where he believes it is reaching its peak.

Members of the public line up for Covid testing. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

“We are going to see steady growth until we reach a peak some time in the next two weeks but because it is a decentralised state we are going to get peaks at different times in different regions,” he said.

“The most useful things to look at will be hospitalisation rates rather than the number of cases.”