Covid-19: Plan to boost Gold Coast's sluggish vaccination rates
More needs to be done to boost sluggish Covid vaccination rates in the Gold Coast and indigenous communities, Opposition Leader David Crisafulli says.
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MORE needs to be done to boost sluggish Covid vaccination rates in the Gold Coast and indigenous communities, Opposition Leader David Crisafulli says.
He spoke about the need to supercharge the Glitter Strip's jab blitz during a visit to the drive-through pop-up Pfizer vaccination clinic operating in Pimpama on Saturday.
The private sector initiative is run by Amtan Medical and has the capacity to accommodate up to 500 bookings a day by appointment only.
Mr Crisafulli said a drive-through clinic was one way to get more Gold Coasters to roll up their sleeves.
"We have to do everything we can to get our sluggish vaccination rates off the bottom of the table," he said.
"We're putting forward our own solutions and one of them is drive-through clinics.
"It's not about one or the other - it's about offering choice."
Opposition health spokeswoman Ros Bates said Gold Coast's vaccination rate of just 45.5 per cent was concerning, given the area was the closest to the NSW border.
The Opposition is also "deeply concerned" about lagging indigenous jab rates.
"First Nations people should have been the first people in Queensland to get vaccinated," Ms Bates said.
Pop-up Covid-19 vaccination clinics are being set up across the northern Gold Coast on October 9 and 10 as part of Queensland Health’s extended ‘Super Pfizer Weekend’.
They will be located at:
* Ormeau Woods State High School – Pfizer only, 148 Goldmine Road, October 9-10 from 9am-2pm
* Pacific Pines State High School – Pfizer only, 15 Archipelago Street, October 9-10, from 9am-2pm
The clinics will be accepting all persons aged 12 and over as a walk-in during operating hours. Residents must present at least one hour before clinic closing and is limited by supply availability.
“This will initially be a trial to see how popular school-based clinics are, and we hope to expand to more areas in coming weeks," she said.
LATEST: Coast Covid restrictions to ease, no new local cases recorded - October 8
QUEENSLAND has recorded no new Covid-19 cases ahead of restrictions easing on the Gold Coast and various parts of the state from 4pm.
It comes as Coast residents are being urged to take advantage of another “Super Pfizer Weekend” to get vaccinated.
The new coronavirus case numbers in Queensland were revealed after Victoria announced it had recorded its highest number of daily infections since the pandemic began early last year.
NSW recorded 646 new Covid-19 cases and 11 deaths, while Victoria has announced 1838 new cases and five deaths.
Meanwhile, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said restrictions would ease “following another day with no cases detected in the community”.
She said Brisbane, Gold Coast, Moreton Bay, Logan, Townsville and Palm Island would come back into line with the rest of Queensland.
Dancing will be allowed and Coast residents will be able to take off their face masks while sitting indoors or when social distancing is possible under the relaxed restrictions.
WHERE TO GET TESTS, VACCINES ON COAST
Cafes and restaurants will return to limits of one person per two square metres indoors and outdoors, while stadiums and events will be able to operate at full capacity.
Up to 100 people will be able to gather inside homes, with no limit for people gathering in public spaces, and visitors will be permitted at aged care, correctional centres, hospitals and disability service centres.
Up to 200 people will be able to attend funerals and weddings and all wedding guests will be allowed to dance
“We will continue to monitor the situation carefully to keep Queenslanders safe,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
She called on Queenslanders to “roll up your sleeve and join the Jab Army” during another “Super Pfizer Weekend” on Saturday and Sunday.
TWEED BUSINESSES LEFT IN FEAR OF ANTI-VAXXERS
“Do it for your family and do it for Queensland,” she said.
Health Officer Yvette D’Ath said on Friday the state had a “double doughnut day”, with no new overseas acquired cases recorded either.
She said more than half of all Queenslanders (50.3 per cent) have been fully vaccinated.
Super Pfizer Weekend means residents can drop into Queensland Health vaccine hubs across the state to get a jab without a booking.
On Thursday, Queensland recorded no new local cases and six new overseas cases, including five detected in a ship off the coast.
Qld record zero new local cases, home quarantine trial
October 7: Queensland has recorded zero new local cases ahead of another “super vax weekend”.
The state has also recorded six new international cases, including five on a ship off the coast.
Almost 15000 people have been tested in the past 24 hours and 68.2 per cent of eligible Queenslanders have had their first dose and 49.53 per cent their second dose.
Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said: “This weekend we are expecting a very big, super vax weekend because everyone who came out and got vaccinated two weeks ago are due for their second dose.”
It follows Victoria recording 1638 new local cases and two deaths overnight. NSW Health announced 587 new cases and eight deaths in the same time period.
The Bulletin yesterday revealed the Australian rugby team was allowed to play to a near sellout crowd at Cbus Stadium on the Gold Coast after coming in contact with a positive Covid-19 case.
It’s unclear whether Queensland health officials will address the situation today.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Yvette D’Ath announced up to 1000 Queenslanders “stuck” in southern states can apply to take part in a trial of home quarantine, starting October 11.
People must be fully vaccinated at least two weeks prior to flying, live within two hours of Brisbane airport, be able to quarantine at home or have the whole household quarantine together. They must also return a negative Covid test 72 hours before they fly home.
It’s been reported some 3000 residents are stranded to get back to Queensland, awaiting for their border pass to be granted.
Minister D’Ath said Queensland residents currently located in a Covid-19 hotspot, who have already applied to return home, will be invited to trial this new model.
“Those who have already applied to return to Queensland will be contacted by the Government to ascertain their eligibility to participate,” she said.
Minister D’Ath said that it is important those trialling this program take this opportunity seriously.
“We ask that those Queenslanders taking part in the trial take the requirements of quarantining at home very seriously, to give the trial the best chance of success and possible future expansion,” she said.
“Where a returning Queensland resident has nominated a private residence to complete the home quarantine trial, any other people who normally reside at the same location, and who will remain there during the quarantine period, will also need to quarantine.”
The eight Local Government areas where the home quarantine trial will be conducted are Brisbane (excluding Moreton Island), Moreton Bay, Sunshine Coast, Noosa, Ipswich, Logan, Gold Coast, Redland (excluding the islands of the Redland LGA)
To protect everyone, returning Queenslanders taking part in the trial must be:
*Be fully vaccinated (with at least two weeks having passed since receiving their second dose)
*Have returned a negative PCR test within 72 hours of entry
* Use the home-quarantine check-in system
* Quarantine at home for 14 days
* Subject themselves to tests on days one, five and 12
* Have a suitable home with a direct entry, and
* Arrive by air.
Anyone who breaches home quarantine rules, under the trial, will be liable for fines and placement into hotel quarantine at their expense.
When asked if giving Queenslanders a concrete answer on a date when the borders will open, to encourage increased rates of vaccination, Ms D’Ath said: “let’s reverse the argument”.
“It’s up to you,” she said.
“You get to decide how quick we get to those targets.
“The quicker you get vaccinated … the quicker we open our economy fully up.”
The Commonwealth Government’s national plan, released by the national cabinet, sees borders opened once states hit 80 per cent of their eligible population fully vaccinated.
However, Queensland’s Premier has not guaranteed the state would open once the target was reached and has not revealed what it would take for her to open borders.
Dr Young said she would be “comfortable” for the state’s borders to be opened once every single Queenslander, aged 12 years or older has been given the chance to be vaccinated.
“Then it’s people’s choice, and I hope people choose the vaccine,” she said.
Queensland records zero new local cases
October 6: Queensland has recorded zero new locally acquired Covid-19 cases and three overseas cases in stark contrast to the large number of cases and deaths in New South Wales and Victoria.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced the latest coronavirus numbers at a press conference about 10am on Wednesday morning.
She congratulated Queenslanders for the “unbelievable” result and again urged state residents to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
Ms Palaszczuk was pleased that 12,829 tests had been carried out in the previous 24 hours.
It came as NSW recorded 594 local cases and 10 deaths overnight.
Of the 10, four were in their 70s, two were in their 80s and two were in their 90s.
Despite announcing new Premier Dominic Perrottet on Tuesday, NSW did not hold a public press conference today.
Instead the daily Covid-19 update was given by NSW Health via lifestream.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said Victoria had recorded 1420 cases and 11 deaths.
On Tuesday, Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate urged Ms Palaszczuk to “give us all some hope”.
However, Ms Palaszczuk’s hesitation to provide a time frame or vaccination target has been supported by Australian Medical Association Queensland president Chris Perry.
Referring to the state’s vaccination rate, he said “the evidence that you should open at 80 per cent isn’t strong”.
Mr Perry said countries including Israel, Denmark and Singapore opened in the low 80s and had to close down again.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has accused the state government of extortion after Ms Palaszczuk linked the state border reopening to increased federal hospital funding.
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