Covid Qld: Latest case numbers as catastrophic strain hits hospitals

The Deputy Premier has expressed his sadness at news of the death of a young child from Covid-19, while reminding Queenslanders they have a major part to play in easing the significant strain on our hospitals with the latest peak still weeks away.

Queensland has recorded another 8,209 Covid cases as another 19 people lost their lives with the virus, in addition to the confirmation on Tuesday night of the death of a 23-month-old child.

There are now more than 64,000 active Covid cases in the Sunshine State.

Of the 19 people who died in the past 24 hours, one person was in their 50s, four people were in their 70s, six were in their 80s, seven were in their 90s and one person was over 100.

Speaking at a press conference called to announce an update to the progress of the Queens Wharf development in Brisbane, Deputy Premier Steven Miles said there were also about 887 patients in public hospitals, with 136 in private facilities, as the state continued to track towards a new forecast peak of 1660 hospitalisations.

Of those, 26 patients are in intensive care.

Mr Miles said the government had established “surge planning” for a range of surges within a wave.

“And we remain within the thresholds of that surge planning,” he said.

“I understand hospitals are accessing private hospital beds. They are rescheduling planned care where it’s safe to do so.

“And that’s allowing them to give treatment to those 1100-odd people in hospital with Covid as well as all other urgent care needs.”

RBWH emergency department at Herston on Tuesday. Picture: David Clark

Mr Miles said the modelling released by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk was just a projection of “what we know right now”.

“We can all change the modelling, we can all change that curve by following health advice, by using masks, by taking care if we’re vulnerable or around vulnerable,” he said.

Mr Miles said in terms of children under five being vaccinated, the decision was up to ATAGI and should be based on the best available science and research.

He said that now everyone has had the chance to get vaccinated, the government was taking a different approach to the pandemic.

“And you can see the effectiveness of vaccination in the hospitalisation rates,” Mr Miles said.

“While we are seeing large numbers of cases, the number of hospitalisations as a proportion of those cases is much smaller than earlier variants.

“It’s also the number of those hospitalisations who are needing ICU care is lower.

“The number of fatal cases as a proportion of total cases is also lower.

“So that was always the strategy – to suppress the virus as far as possible until everyone had the chance to get vaccinated.”

Mr Miles also announced on Wednesday that there had also been another 127 flu cases.

Acting Premier Steven Miles addresses the media to announce a large-scale battery and data storage project. Picture: Zak Simmonds

It comes a day after health authorities last night confirmed the death of a young child from Covid-19 in a Brisbane hospital.

Queensland Health confirmed the tragic news in a statement late on Tuesday.

“Children’s Health Queensland can confirm that, sadly, a 23-month-old child died from COVID-19 at the Queensland Children’s Hospital on Sunday, 24 July 2022.”

“We extend our deepest condolences to the child’s family.”

Mr Miles on Wednesday morning expressed his sadness at the news, saying he was confident health authorities would have done everything they could to save the child.

He said out of respect to the family of the 23-month-old child who recently lost their life to Covid, he would not be making any comments.

“Obviously every death is tragic. The death of a child is awfully sad,” Mr Miles said.

“Our health workers would have done everything they could to look after that little child.”

Originally published as Covid Qld: Latest case numbers as catastrophic strain hits hospitals