Covid-19 case numbers rise across Far North Queensland
Covid case numbers across the Far North have grown over the past five days with an increase of tourists in the region. But a business leader says it’s a sign we are moving on post pandemic.
Cairns
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UPDATE, APRIL 19: A surge in visitors across the Far North has impacted the growing Covid cases across the region.
In the last five days there has been 1834 cases across the Cairns and Hinterland region. There were 25 patients in Cairns hospital, four in ICU and three in rural hospitals.
Cairns Chamber of Commerce CEO Patricia O’Neill said despite the growing case numbers, tourists were important in the region.
“Covid-19 will be around for a very long time and we need people to remain in jobs for a very long time,” she said.
“To keep people in jobs we need tourists, we need people coming off planes and coming off the highway to transact with the business community to go on tours and book accommodation.”
Ms O’Neill said it was great to see Cairns over the Easter weekend.
“I think the most elating posts I’ve seen on Facebook was from a restaurant in Palm Cove that simply wrote fully booked till after Easter Monday,” she said.
“When was the last time we’ve seen that, fully booked.”
The Cairns and Hinterland region has had 54 deaths to date and 94 patients in the virtual ward.
FRIDAY, APRIL 15: Covid cases are increasing in FNQ with local health services reporting an uptick in case numbers.
The Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service and the Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service both recorded new cases.
CHHHS revealed that as of April 14 there were 31 patients in Cairns Hospital including four in intensive care, as well as seven in their rural hospital system, and 122 in virtual wards.
Sadly, there have been 54 deaths in the region to date.
The TCHHS reported as of April 13 there were 173 active cases of Covid in the Torres and Cape region. These include: Badu Island – 2, Bamaga – 3, Coconut Island – 2, Coen – 4, Cooktown – 13, Hope Vale – 3, Horn Island – 4, Kowanyama – 2, Kubin (Moa Island) – 4, Laura – 1, Lizard Island – 1, Lockhart River – 2, Mer Island – 38, Napranum – 1, Pormpuraaw – 2, Prince of Wales Island – 2, St Pauls (Moa Island) – 3, Thursday Island – 35, Weipa – 40, Wujal Wujal – 7 and Yam Island – 3.
THURSDAY, APRIL 14: With a high number of community in the Cairns region come forward to receive their Covid jabs, many vaccination clinics are set to slowly close their doors and get health staff back into the hospitals.
With 95 per cent of the Cairns region having received their first dose of the Covid vaccine, and almost 94 per cent of residents double-dosed, the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health service have announced the wind down of the region’s Covid-19 vaccination centres.
CHHHS Covid-19 vaccine program director Kelly Pollock said Cairns and Hinterland vaccination centres will begin cutting down their hours from Thursday, April 14.
“These higher figures and a decrease in demand has shown it’s now time to roll back the vaccination program, and allow staff to go back to where they’re needed across the health service,” she said.
“We are starting with our rural facilities – Atherton, Innisfail, Mareeba and Mossman – which will be closing their doors at 3.30pm this Thursday.
“This allows our staff to have a much-needed break over the Easter holidays and then we will transition to a business as usual model, offering vaccinations at each of these respective hospitals one day a week.”
The Pier Shopping Centre vaccination hub will close Good Friday, Easter Monday and Tuesday, April 19 before returning to operate on a five-day week — Wednesday to Sunday, commencing Wednesday, April 20.
Ms Pollock said The Pier vaccination clinic will operate for as long as required.
“We’ve administered just under 8000 paediatric doses since the commencement of the rollout, but we still do lag behind in the 5 to 11 year old age range vaccinations,” she said.
“So we’ll monitor the demand for vaccines, and what our vaccination rates are, but as long as The Pier is required we will operate.”
Ms Pollock said reduction of vaccination clinics will not hinder the availability of vaccine doses and boosters to the public.
“The vaccination will still be readily available within our community, our GPs and pharmacies will be continuing to offer this vaccine,” she said.
“Our hospitals are busy as always so we do need to release staff back to their usual hospital business.”
TUESDAY 11 APRIL: THE daily average of Covid-19 cases has quadrupled across the region in a month but businesses are still confident about post-Covid recovery just days away from eased restrictions.
On Monday it was reported the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital Service area was averaging 484 cases a day which is an increase of 111 cases a day from last month.
But the rise in cases has not stopped businesses from being confident.
CBD eateries Flynn’s Italian and Whiskey and Wine reopened on April 7 and The Milk Bar reopened on Monday, April 11.
Crystalbrook Collection regional general manager Joel Gordon said they were close to capacity at all venues on Friday and Saturday.
“We are seeing significant interest and pick up from now until the back-end of 2022, giving us confidence that Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef is gaining traction as we navigate our way towards peak-season,” Mr Gordon said.
“We’re thrilled to see the majority of our venues open again, trading at capacity and seeing the destination thrive with both international and domestic travellers.”
The latest data shows 24 patients were in Cairns Hospital with two in ICU and 53 deaths since the start.
As cases rise, Pharmacy Guild of Australia national president Trent Twomey said it was really easy to get both flu shot and Covid vaccine at the same time.
“We have seen an increase in demand over the last fortnight, with arrival of the winter dose and the new cohort,” he said.
The fourth dose is available for those 65 and over Aboriginal or Torres Strait over 50 and those severely immunocompromised.
Mr Twomey said there had also been an increase in questions about the Deltacron variant after it appeared in Australia.
“A number of Deltacron cases have been detected in Queensland through genomic sequencing,” a Queensland Health spokesman said.
“We must stress that all COVID-19 variants can cause severe illness, especially in vulnerable people.
“This virus will continue to mutate so we all need to remain vigilant and responsive.”
APRIL 8: Rapid antigen tests are in rich supply across Cairns despite the recent increase in positive Covid cases.
The days of having to wait for the home testing kits, as experienced by many Far North customers in January and February, appear to be a distance memory according to a number of chemists.
It comes despite more than 500 positive cases being reported daily across the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service in April.
Orchard Plaza Alive Pharmacy staff member Sheryl Mado said they had ample stock.
“It’s pretty normal now, she said.
“We sell a majority to our concession card holders but we certainly still have a lot of stock left.”
RAT stocks were in abundance at Ramsay Pharmacy Cairns, according to the store’s Christine Batten, who said customers had become accustomed to Covid norms.
“I think the urgency of when we had to put on our answering machine message that if you are calling about RATS we have not got any, is long past us now,” she said.
“I think it’s just going to be a part of life and it will just trick on.
“There are plenty, we have heaps nasal and oral, we have cartons of them.”
EARLIER: Covid cases across the Far North are increasing and the region is lagging behind with fewer people seeking booster shots.
But in Cairns, 61.7 per cent of people have received a booster shot.
In Mareeba shire, that figure is 59.3 per cent, 60.9 per cent for Cassowary Coast Regional Council area, 67.2 per cent for Tablelands Regional Council area, and 60.8 per cent for Douglas Shire.
Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service (CHHHS) Covid Health Incident Controller Dr Donna Goodman said last month there were about 350 new cases daily and that figure had risen to 515 new cases daily.
“We are expecting number to continue to increase in the next week to 10 days, and to fall after Easter,” Dr Goodman said.
“With international borders opening, we are expecting an increase in cases, we saw that with our state borders opening and also when school went back, so now is the time for people to be more careful.
“With low numbers, people got a little bit complacent, and now restrictions on where we can go and where we need to wear masks are being relaxed.”
From April 17, there will be no requirement for international travellers to complete a pre-arrival Covid test or to complete quarantine.
However, a Covid test must be taken within 24 hours of arriving into Queensland and a rapid antigen test is acceptable.
From April 14, the state government is also lifting restrictions on venues that were required to have only vaccinated staff and patrons.
“Make sure you’re vaccinated, continue physical distancing, practice hand hygiene, if you have symptoms absolutely stay at home, get tested, and isolate,” Dr Goodman said.
There has been a total of 38,034 cases across the CHHHS region – 27,157 in Cairns Regional Council area.
On Thursday, there were 91 active cases in the CHHHS.
There have been 51 deaths to date.
A fourth Covid jab is now available for those aged 65 or older, residents of aged care or disability care facilities, people who are immunocompromised and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 50 and older.
Vaccination clinics and opening hours
The Pier Shopping Centre vaccination clinic is open seven days from 10am to 6pm and includes a child friendly clinic for children aged five to 11.
Over Easter, it will be closed on April 15, 18 and 19.
Vaccination clinics at Atherton Hospital, Innisfail Hospital, Mareeba Hospital and Mossman Multi Purpose Health Serve are open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 8.30am to 3.30pm until April 14.
There is a mobile clinic visiting Mossman Gorge on April 13 from noon to 5pm and Jumbun Community Health Centre on April 14 from noon to 5pm.
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