Coast’s Covid-19 testing chaos amid 186 new cases, rapid antigens testing nixed
Covid-19 testing sites have been overrun as the Omicron variant spreads across Queensland and interstate visitors queue for mandatory testing.
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GOLD Coast Covid testing sites are overrun as the Omicron variant spreads across Queensland, creating stark images tourism leaders warn will cripple the city’s biggest industry again.
Long lines of vehicles were seen spilling out of testing city clinics on Wednesday, with some patrons reporting up to three-hour waits. Gold Coast Health warned at 6pm on Tuesday testing sites at Gold Coast University Hospital and Robina Health Precinct were at capacity – and tourists should wait until Wednesday.
Queensland requires travellers from hotspots to get a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test five days after arriving.
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Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk admitted to issues with the requirement and suggested a switch to rapid antigen testing early next year to prevent long waits for (PCR) test results.
“We are happy to get some further advice about rapid antigen tests,” she said, adding she’d await approval from the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC), which works with states and territories to adopt national health protection policies.
“The rapid antigen tests have not yet been approved by AHPPC,” she said.
“They need to get the approval and we’ll look at using them on (January 1).”
But that won’t come fast enough for struggling tourism businesses grappling with cancellations, closures and loss of staff in quarantine as a result of being close contacts to positive Covid cases.
Queensland Tourism Industry Council CEO Daniel Gschwind said images of long lines for Covid tests were shattering traveller confidence.
“There is concern within the industry about the testing requirements which are causing issues with their wait times,” he said. “This is obviously a problem. Images of people waiting hours to get tests done and then having to wait days for results are obviously a real concern.
“They are not encouraging travellers to book with any confidence.”
The increasing Covid cases in the state, plus exposure sites and potential anxiety about the virus has seen more Coast residents line up for testing.
Police officers have been busy keeping an eye on traffic movements around bustling city testing sites, a Gold Coast police spokeswoman said.
Surfers Paradise MP John-Paul Langbroek said small businesses were suffering as a result of test requirements.
“There is mass frustration and a real sense of desperation, both from people who are seeing the lines and testing centres to those who have cancelled their trips to come,” he said. “A lot of small businesses have been struggling to hang on and now they are dealing with the changes in rules and they simply will not be able to continue.
“This flies in the face of what double vaccination was meant to provide. We should follow the NSW model of focusing on the number of people in the ICU rather than the case numbers.”
A Queensland Health spokeswoman said there was plenty of testing capacity in public and private clinics, noting in 24 hours to 7am Tuesday, 34,518 tests were done compared to 52,351 tests in 24 hours prior to 7am on August 5. “Our PCR testing requirements are in place to ensure we can manage an outbreak in Queensland as large numbers of people enter and move about,” she said.
“This is a responsible public health measure to protect the community.”
Anyone tested in a Queensland Health facility can follow-up by phoning Pathology Queensland on 1800 472 847.
Queensland Covid-19 cases boom to record high
DECEMBER 22: QUEENSLAND Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has announced a record 186 new Covid-19 cases – but none of those diagnosed with the virus are in hospital.
Ms Palaszczuk said at a press conference on Wednesday morning coronavirus vaccines like Pfizer and AstraZeneca “appear to be working and they are protecting Queenslanders”.
The Premier said the state government was preparing for the number of cases to continue to boom in Queensland.
“We are going to see thousands of cases of Omicron (variant) in Queensland,” she said.
“We do not have large numbers of people in ICU (intensive care units) but these are early days.”
Ms Palaszczuk urged eligible residents to get vaccinated as soon as possible, and to seek a third booster shot if eligible.
She said the government was working to prevent the virus becoming “rampant in Queensland”.
GOLD COAST COVID-19 EXPOSURE SITES
“We’re in a new stage of this pandemic. Look, Queenslanders can face anything. Australians can face anything” she said.
“We are still very early in getting the data about long term impacts and we want to keep as many people safe during the Christmas and New Year period.”
Ms Palaszczuk also announced more stringent face mask rules. From 5am on Thursday masks will be mandatory in cinemas, theatres and for hospitality workers.
Meanwhile, Queensland health authorities have not moved to change guidelines requiring visitors return a negative coronavirus test up to 72-hours before their arrival into the state.
Ms Palaszczuk said after discussions with NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet they agreed to retain the requirement until at least early next year.
Chief health officer Dr John Gerrard said the 186 cases marked a “substantial increase” from Tuesday, but it was not surprising.
WHERE TO GET COVID-19 TESTS AND VACCINATIONS ON COAST
“We’ve done a lot of testing in the last few days … and we know vaccinated people can have very mild illness so can be in the community and do not know they have the virus – and that’s why we’re picking up more cases,” he said.
“One of the things I’m finding reassuring is as of last night there’s still only one patient in any Queensland hospital with any significant symptoms related to Covid-19.”
Dr Gerrard said this person had multiple health complications.
“So it appears the vaccines are working effectively,” he said.
Dr Gerrard said there was 447 active cases across Queensland, with 29,000 tests completed on Tuesday.
“This virus is spreading rapidly through the community we know that. It’s happening around the world, we’re certainly not unique,” he said.
Dr Gerrard warned Covid-19 was “everywhere” and “we're not picking up every case”.
He said the latest case numbers were an “underestimate of the real number of people in Queensland who are carrying this virus”, despite the record high.
Dr Gerrard said 85 per cent of eligible Queenslanders were fully vaccinated, with the single dose rate at 89 per cent, and expected to reach 90 per cent by today.
He said there was 79 cases of Omicron in the state in total, it was the dominant strain and would soon overtake the Delta variant.
Of the 186 cases, 177 were still being investigated.
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Dr Gerrard said as case numbers grow fewer investigations would be undertaken.
Ms Palaszczuk said 257,000 people had crossed the border from Victoria, NSW and the ACT since Monday – more than the population of Townsville.
She said extending the mask mandate would “keep Queenslanders safe”.
“We don’t want all of our cafes and restaurants going down,” she said.
Dr Gerrard said what was most important was the number of hospitalisations.
“If we have a few hundred people who are infected and one or two end up in hospital, that’s not a big deal,” he said.
“When we have ten thousand, twenty thousand, one hundred thousand, that becomes a big logistics exercise
“This is about numbers – that’s what the problem is with a pandemic.
“So even if we’ve got very low rate of hospital admissions, we have very large numbers of cases suddenly, that’s when it becomes a problem (for hospitals).
“And we are going to see many thousands of cases in Queensland in the next few weeks.”
Ms Palaszczuk sent a message to the media and people watching at home.
“Respectfully, we want Queenslanders to have a safe Christmas and New Year. We need people to check-in, wear masks, and be cautious where you’re going,” she said.
“It’s a small thing to do but we need people to be wearing masks until the population can get the booster.”
The record influx of new cases comes as testing sites across the Gold Coast have been overrun in recent days.
Qld records 86 new Covid cases, changes to 14-day quarantine rule
December 21: Queensland has recorded 86 new cases of Covid-19 overnight, with 269 active cases across the state – and the Omicron variant is now the dominant form of the virus.
It’s the highest number of cases recorded in a 24-hour period in Queensland since the pandemic began in January 2020.
The unfortunate milestone comes as Deputy Premier Steven Miles said the 14-day quarantine rule for (vaccinated) close contacts of coronavirus patients would be reduced to seven days from December 22.
Those in quarantine would be required to get a Covid test on day zero and day five.
This is in a bid to reduces the impact on businesses and operators who have staff that come into contact with cases and are struggling to stay open during the busy festive season.
Chief health officer Dr John Gerrard said people who were unvaccinated would still have to quarantine for 14 days.
“We are joining with the other states in the national standard of a seven-day quarantine period,” he said.
There are 61 Omicron cases across the state, with 75 people in hospital and one person in ICU, but only because of complications due to another unrelated health condition.
Dr Gerrard said 67 of the new cases were still under investigation.
He said the doubling of cases was expected and additional measures were being considered but the trajectory suggested Queensland could be seeing thousands of daily cases by January.
“There are measures we are taking including vaccination, increased mask wearing, and reducing seating events,” he said.
He warned the virus was likely “widespread across Queensland” after a case was diagnosed in Emerald.
“About two cases of Omicron are being diagnosed for every case of Delta,” he said.
“Omicron has become the dominant form of the virus in Queensland.”
Meanwhile, overworked GPs threaten to halt their coronavirus vaccination programs, pointing to inadequate federal government funding, which does not cover the cost of booster jabs.
Chief health officer Dr John Gerrard said the doubling of cases was expected and additional measures were being considered but the trajectory suggested Queensland could be seeing thousands of daily cases by January.
On Monday there were 34,000 test, while 84 per cent of Queenslanders are fully vaccinated and 89.8 per cent have a first dose.
“We expect to hit the 90 per cent first dose mark when the commonwealth reports this afternoon,” said Dr Gerrard.
Earlier, Health Minister Yvette D’Ath has been urging Queenslanders to line up for booster vaccines
“Covid-19 booster vaccination shots can now be administered five months after your second dose,” she wrote on social media on Tuesday morning.
“If you are due for yours, please come forward today and get your booster shot.”
Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said 225,000 people had applied for general vehicle passes since the borders opened, but that a large number arrive without a PCR test.
In the past 24 hours there has been one arrest and four infringement notices handed out due to people deliberately failing to comply with public health directions.
Meanwhile, virus testing clinics on the Coast have been stretched in the lead up to Christmas.
On Monday – when Queensland recorded 49 new locally acquired cases – the 4 Cyte Pathology drive-through clinic on Ferry Road at Southport was bustling.
A long line of vehicles hundreds of metres long stretched from the clinic down Ferry Rd.
While Covid-19 cases have been climbing in Queensland, the numbers have paled in comparison to New South Wales and Victoria.
On Monday, 66 Covid patients were in Queensland hospitals and no patients were in intensive care units, according to Queensland Health data.
NSW authorities revealed 3057 new cases on Tuesday, and two more deaths, marking a national record for the most daily infections, while Victoria has recorded 1245 new cases.
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