Gold Coast hospitality boss: ‘We’re over restrictions and ready to get back to business’
The Premier has issued a stern message telling Queenslanders not to leave home unless they have to but a Gold Coast hospitality boss says the State Government is sending ‘mixed messages’.
Coronavirus
Don't miss out on the headlines from Coronavirus. Followed categories will be added to My News.
PREMIER Annastacia Palaszczuk has issued a stern warning for Queenslanders to “restrict their movements” to soften the blow of a “short, sharp” wave of Covid.
But the Surfers Paradise Licensed Venues Association president Tim Martin said the message was unhelpful for a hospitality industry already on its knees during what was meant to be its peak season.
It comes as thousands descend on the Coast for the Magic Millions racing carnival, a social highlight of the year.
Ms Palaszczuk urged Queenslanders to “work from home if you can”, not leave your house if vulnerable, mask up and socially distance where possible: “This will help slow down this wave, but I don’t think this message has been getting out very clearly to employees.
“It’s important for anyone who has symptoms to stay home and to avoid large indoor crowds, especially if you are vulnerable.”
Ms Palaszczuk urged the public to “restrict movements”, particularly until they have had their booster vaccine.
“We are not going to stop this wave but we can stop people’s movements,” she said.
“This is going to be a short, sharp wave but it is really going to test the resilience of this state. January and February is going to be a very tough time for Queensland.”
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate urged those feeling unwell to follow the Queensland Health advice: “I’m confident people will continue to support our local businesses throughout this pandemic.”
But Mr Martin, who runs Sin City, Bedroom and Havana nightclubs and has a stake in Artesian’s Cali Beach Club, White Rhino and Surfers Pavilion, said Gold Coasters were over restrictions and “ready to get on with business”.
“They have opened the borders and we knew that this virus was coming, but then to tell everyone to limit their movements is a bit of mixed messaging for hospitality and tourism operators,” he said. The hospitality boss said the message to the public should be: “If you’re sick, stay home. If you’re not, enjoy yourself.
“Support your local businesses that have been struggling long enough.”
Mr Martin added Covid-induced staff shortages plaguing the sector could be fixed if staff with the virus who were asymptomatic were allowed to work.
Meanwhile, city supermarkets are experiencing a shortage of multiple items as transport operators and staff are forced to isolate.
In a letter to customers, Woolworths CEO Brad Banducci said the grocery giant was dealing with “high levels of community transmission associated with Omicron”.
He said Woolworths was experiencing Covid-driven absences of 20 per cent-plus in distribution centres and 10 per cent-plus in stores.
“When you’re shopping with us at the moment, you might unfortunately have noticed gaps on shelf, or substitutions in your online order. Unlike the surge buying of early 2020 (who could forget the toilet paper), this is because of the number of people in our supply chain in isolation – from suppliers to truck drivers and distribution centre team members – which in turn is causing material delays to store deliveries,” Mr Banducci said.
Chief health officer Dr John Gerrard said he had not advised the government to reintroduce density limits at venues, saying to do so would be “quite draconian”: “The evidence suggests (density limits) are not going to have a major impact on the virus, but would have a major impact on society.”
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has confirmed some restrictions will be reimposed there from Saturday in response to a wave of Covid cases and hospitalisations.
Singing and dancing in pubs and nightclubs will be banned and authorities will review upcoming major events under the new rules, in force until January 27.
Density limits were reintroduced in NSW on December 27 – hospitality venues, including pubs, clubs, restaurants and cafes, must follow a one person per two-square-metre rule indoors. Density limits were reintroduced in Victoria on Friday.
Don’t go anywhere: Premier’s grim message to state
QUEENSLAND has recorded 10,953 new Covid-19 cases, with 327 people in hospital and 14 in intensive care units with the virus across the state.
It comes as Queensland has been working on a hotline to record rapid antigen test (RAT) results – and as parents were warned students’ return to primary schools could be delayed.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk revealed the new cases on Friday and said three people were on ventilators.
She urged Queenslanders to “work from home if you can”.
“This will help slow down this wave, but I don’t think this message has been getting out very clearly to employees,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“It’s important for anyone who has symptoms to stay home and to avoid large indoor crowds, especially if you are vulnerable.”
One-in three PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests have been coming back positive in Queensland, according to Health Minister Yvette D’Ath.
Ms Palaszczuk urged the public to “restrict their movements”, particularly until they have had their booster vaccine.
“We are not going to stop this wave but we can stop people’s movements,” she said.
“This is going to be a short, sharp wave but it is really going to test the resilience of this state.
“January and February is going to be a very tough time for Queensland.”
The Premier also revealed the RAT hotline was “being worked on” and would be live come Saturday morning.
Ms Palaszczuk said the return of primary school-aged students to classrooms could be pushed back one or two weeks after the holidays.
She said the government was looking at modelling but “would not be sending primary school children back to school” in the peak of an Omicron wave.
Ms Palaszczuk flagged a possible shortage of teachers in coming weeks.
She warned there was “absolutely more cases out there” because RATs were not yet being reported or recorded.
Chief health officer Dr John Gerrard also urged Queensland residents to work from home and said “we know transmission does occur in the work environment”.
“We’re not going to stop the spread of this virus, we’re just trying to slow it down a little bit.”
“The speed of which the Omicron variant has spread is extraordinary."
Ms Palaszczuk described the shortage of RAT tests as “not just a domestic issues” but “an international issue".
As of Friday morning, 90.93 per cent of eligible Queensland residents had received one dose of a coronavirus vaccine and 87.26 per cent were double-dosed.
In the reporting period, 36,492 tests were carried out.
The government update came as testing queues stretched for kilometres and Gold Coast shops had shut or run out of stock due to staffing shortfalls.
Alongside a bevy of hospitality and other closures, supermarkets on the Coast and across Queensland have been feeling the pinch as more workers and transport operators become infected by the coronavirus, or are forced into isolation.
Woolworths CEO Brad Banducci has revealed the more contagious Omicron variant has led to absences of more than 20 per cent in distribution centres and more than 10 per cent in stores.
“When you’re shopping with us at the moment, you might unfortunately have noticed gaps on shelf, or substitutions in your online order,” he said.
“Unlike the surge buying of early 2020 (who could forget the toilet paper), this is because of the number of people in our supply chain in isolation – from suppliers to truck drivers and distribution centre team members – which in turn is causing material delays to store deliveries.”
It’s understood there has also been a degree of anxiety buying due to the influx of Covid-19 infections across the state.
It comes as areas on the Coast have led the list of the top 20 Covid-19 hot spots in Queensland since Omicron began its advance across the state from the middle of last month.
Data shows Surfers Paradise south has recorded 302 cases, Mermaid Beach-Broadbeach recorded 283 cases, Palm Beach recorded 233 cases, Southport – South recorded 204 cases and Southport – north recorded 201 cases.
However, PCR test results have been taking days to be returned – if those with the virus choose to linger for hours in line.
As frustration mounts around PCR test wait times, it has also emerged exhausted pathology staff were blindsided by plans to “dump thousands of Covid tests” on understaffed clinics over Christmas.
Queensland recorded 10,332 new cases and one death on Thursday, with 284 people in hospital, 12 in intensive care units (ICU), and two on ventilators.
On Friday, NSW has reported 38,625 new Covid-19 cases and 11 deaths, with 1738 people in hospital and 134 in ICUs.
Victoria recorded 21,728 new Covid cases and six deaths, with 644 people in hospital and 58 in ICUs.
Queensland records 10,332 new Covid cases, one death
January 7: Queensland has recorded 10,332 new cases and one death as NSW and Victoria recorded more than 55,000 new cases on Thursday.
Health Minister Yvette D’Ath and chief health officer Dr John Gerrard made the grim announcement of Queensland’s latest death, a man in his 80s on December 28.
Of the 42,050 active cases, 284 people are in hospital, 12 in intensive care, and two of those people are on ventilators.
Ms D’Ath said she was pleased with the decisions out of national cabinet yesterday, and has noticed queues around the state thinning out after the announcement of free rapid antigen tests.
She also warned Queenslanders off attending the emergency department for mild Covid symptoms, and panic buying to prepare for catching the disease.
“Sadly I do want to report a gentleman in his 80s on December 28 … has now been confirmed as a death related to Covid,” Ms D’Ath said.
The man who died was being treated in hospital for other conditions, Dr Gerrard said.
“We were waiting for a coroner’s report which indicated the cause of his death was Covid-19.”
Despite the high number of Covid-19 cases, Dr Gerrard said there was hope for the state, with few hospitalisations in comparison to case numbers, with less severity.
“The number of patients … that is in the hospital wards with Covid-19 is increasing steadily,” he said.
“This is the intermediate level of patient – not the level requiring high level intensive care support, but patients who might need some oxygen for a few days.
“That number is increasing … (and) that number is expected to increase very substantially in the next few weeks.”
Dr Gerrard said more patients will be “ward-type” patients, rather than those in intensive care like in the Delta outbreak. He said he would hope it would be for a relatively short period.
“This epidemic is looking quite a bit different from the previous epidemic where we saw a lot of people in intensive care … we’re probably going to see more ward-type patients,” he said.
This comes as NSW recorded 34,994 new cases and six deaths on Thursday. South of the border there were 1609 people in hospital with the virus, 131 of which are in intensive care and 38 on ventilators.
Hospitalisations have increased by 118 from 1491 patients on Wednesday and ICU presentations have increased by 12.
One in three Victorians tested for coronavirus are returning positive results as the state recorded more than 20,000 cases for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
The state reported 21,997 cases and six more deaths on Wednesday, according to its health department.
Figures show there were 64,861 tests carried out in the past 24 hours, which means one in three people tested are returning positive results.
What are the symptoms? What are the rules? New Covid strain explained
The Covid threat that emerged before Christmas doesn’t appear to be going anywhere in Queensland. ALL YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
‘Unacceptable’: Tens of thousands of drivers dodge RBT
There’s been an astounding drop in the number of Gold Coast drivers being breath tested over the past five years. HOW THEY ESCAPED AN RBT