Coronavirus: Without lockdown we would have lost 30,000 lives, says Annastacia Palaszczuk
A staggering 30,000 Queenslanders were forecast to die from the coronavirus if the state failed to contain the outbreak, says Annastacia Palaszczuk.
A staggering 30,000 Queenslanders were forecast to die from the coronavirus if the state failed to contain the outbreak, according to early modelling revealed by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.
Ms Palaszczuk said the state would keep unpopular strict quarantine and social-distancing restrictions in place for at least six months, and would continue to aggressively contact-trace confirmed cases, to save lives.
“I don’t like these restrictions as much as you don’t,” she said.
“I can’t see my family and friends and it’s tough. But we’ve got to comply with the laws because it’s all about making sure our loved ones don’t end up dying.
“I’m sorry, I have to be very stark about this, but the initial modelling I was shown, if we didn’t flatten the curve, it was more than 30,000 Queenslanders who could have lost their lives … that keeps me up at night.”
The state recorded nine new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, taking the total to 943, more than 100 of whom have recovered. Just 35 are being treated in hospital, and 11 are in intensive care. Five Queenslanders have died of the disease.
Ms Palaszczuk said the state had successfully begun flattening the curve, so the horror prediction of 30,000 deaths was not going to eventuate. But more deaths were inevitable, she said.
“The reality is, the virus is still here and we are still going to see a tragic loss of life,” Ms Palaszczuk said. “But by flattening that curve, and now we’re going to get new specific modelling for the states and territories, we will see that come down dramatically.”
Queensland Health director-general John Wakefield said the state had 800 intensive care beds in the public and private sectors that could be used for patients with COVID-19. And that could be increased by 400 if necessary.
“We are working through that now, but our current modelling suggests we won’t need that many,” Dr Wakefield said. “But we always prepare for the worst and hope for the best.”
He said a “herd immunity” approach would not work in Queensland without risking a crisis similar to those seen in the US, the UK, Italy and Spain.
Ms Palaszczuk said the government would decide on Thursday whether state parliament would be recalled to sit for one day late next week to legislate new measures, including revised arrangements for commercial leases.
The government on Wednesday announced $5.5m in extra funding for women and children to access domestic violence services, including an extra $1.5m for the statewide hotline service DV Connect, and $1.7m for extra crisis accommodation.
One domestic violence service had experienced a 40 per cent spike in inquiries since the start of the outbreak, and there had been a 75 per cent increase in Google searches by women for domestic violence services.
Stradbroke, Moreton and Fraser islands have been closed for Easter to help contain the spread.
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