Qld projected to reach peak of Covid-19 outbreak in coming weeks

The Premier of one Australian state has warned that the worst of the Covid outbreak is yet to come after the nation recorded a grim milestone.

Last month was Australia’s deadliest since the Covid-19 pandemic began, with 1772 deaths across the country.

In the last seven days, Australia has recorded an additional 275,335 Covid-19 cases and 620 deaths, according to Covid Live.

However, the national weekly average of new cases has been falling since July 24.

Victoria peaked last Tuesday at 11,783 cases and the number has fallen every day since, while NSW case numbers have been falling since Thursday.

Flu cases peaked in May and have been on the decline, signalling that the worst may be over for the Australian winter.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has warned that the worst is yet to come for Queensland’s Covid outbreak. Picture: NCA NewsWire / John Gass

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk told the Today show on Tuesday that comprehensive modelling suggested her state would reach its peak at the end of August.

On Monday, Queensland recorded 4303 new cases, with 782 people receiving treatment in hospital.

That’s a significant reduction from the 1023 cases in hospital last Wednesday.

“What we have seen over the last couple of days is a decline in the hospitalisations of people with Covid and the flu,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“We are going to monitor that over the next couple of days and fingers crossed, we may have been through the worst of it, but time will tell.”

The Queensland Premier said pressures on the state’s hospital systems were not isolated but part of a national crisis.

Hospitalisations are on the decline across Australia for both Covid and flu. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

In Victoria, 802 people are in hospital with Covid-19, while in NSW there are a whopping 2289 cases receiving care in hospital.

Ms Palaszczuk reminded Australians that there were simple measures in place to reduce the spread of the virus within the community.

“Let me say very seriously, I have been encouraging people to wear masks and to get their boosters, to wear masks in indoor settings and where they can to socially distance,” she said.

“If you are sick stay at home and don't go to work.”