Covid Qld: Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk updates state’s latest Covid-19 case numbers

After sustained pressure on the State Government, a Queensland family stranded in Sydney with a sick child will be allowed to quarantine together.

A Queensland family trapped in Sydney with a desperately ill and immunocompromised little boy will be allowed to quarantine together.

Government bureaucrats had insisted the family split up to quarantine in Brisbane, rather than allow them to take up a charity’s offer to fly them to their remote property to isolate at home.

But a Queensland Health spokesman said on Thursday night an exemption had been granted for Billy Blacker, Jessie Evans and their son Rocka to allow them to quarantine together as a family, under the care of Children’s Health Queensland.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk earlier on Thursday faced questions on the family’s plight.

Ms Palaszczuk said she was heartbroken hearing the family’s story, and called on the Queensland Health exemption unit to “do better” and find a solution.

“They know they need to do better,” she said.

The Premier confirmed that 80 Queensland Health staff members’ sole job was to help process exemptions from relocation and returning Queenslanders.

When asked repeatedly if the Premier believed 80 staff was enough, she said it was a matter for Health and the department would investigate, but more would be added if required.

Ms Palaszczuk has confirmed the state has recorded one new Covid-19 case and 12-year-olds will soon be able to get vaccinated, as she

Jessie Evans and Billy Blacker with their son Rocka, 4 months, in Double Bay. The family travelled to NSW for medical treatment for Rocka. Now they are having trouble getting back home. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

The Health Minister and Queensland Health Director General have also been told to improve the performance and pace of the exemptions process, Ms Palaszczuk said.

“I expect there to be more done,” she said.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. Picture Lachie Millard

Ms Palaszczuk also said the State Government would be “reacting very quickly” to announcements made by the NSW Premier on easing restrictions.

Dr Young said it was critical to see what NSW would do about their restrictions before considering options around border bubbles.

She said she had faith in the decisions of the NSW Government.

Thursday’s case was locally acquired but is not of concern as it’s part of the Beenleigh cluster and was detected in a child who is the 10-year-old brother of an existing case and is already in quarantine.

There are 21 active cases in the state.

One hundred families are still in quarantine from the childcare centre cluster connected to Mt Warren Park.

Chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young confirmed the case was one of the children who had been in contact with the child who was positive.

She said the child had spent their entire infectious period in quarantine.

“There’s no risk here at all because of the work by these 100 families in quarantine,” she said.

Dr Young said from next week anyone in Queensland over the age of 12 can be vaccinated.

Ms Palaszczuk said the aim was to vaccinate high school students.

Ms Palaszczuk added that Townsville, Mackay and Rockhampton vaccine clinics would be accepting walk-ins.

“If you haven’t been vaccinated, go and get vaccinated,” she said.

More than 23,800 people were vaccinated yesterday, a record number for the state.

Ms Palaszczuk said more than 3500 Queensland workers in distribution centres had now been vaccinated and 300 people were vaccinated at Inghams in Murrarie yesterday.

On Monday and Tuesday, a vaccination site was run at the Metcash, Browns Plains site, the location of today’s presser.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said a record number of vaccinations had been administered with more than 23,000 in the last 24 hours.

Meanwhile, relations between Queensland and the Commonwealth hit a bizarre new low on Wednesday with Health Minister Yvette D’Ath slamming Peter Dutton for failing to respond to her calls and texts – only to later discover she’d been dialling the wrong number.

The embarrassing gaffe was in response to a report in Wednesday’s Courier-Mail that revealed Diggers were stuck in Dubai and unable to return because the Queensland government had denied them entry while allowing NRL players and partners and Indian cricketers access.

Ms D’Ath hit out at “false claims” that the state had left Aussie troops stranded and that she had tried to get on to Peter Dutton for an explanation – to no avail.

Police on Wednesday handed out five on-the-spot fines for people not filling out forms properly at the border, with 99 people turned around.

Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said there had been eight additional fines handed out for people failing to comply with conditions.

Originally published as Covid Qld: Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk updates state’s latest Covid-19 case numbers