Queensland reports nine more Covid deaths as cases ease to 8643

The Queensland government has escalated a bitter row with Scott Morrison over aged care as the state’s nursing home Covid death toll rises.

Daily Covid infections have eased in Queensland – as have hospitalisations – but there are new concerns for the aged care sector as the Sunshine State’s death toll edges higher.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Thursday reported 8643 new cases and nine more virus fatalities over the past 24 hours, including another four deaths in aged care.

Of the new deaths, all were aged over 60 and only one had received a booster shot.

The state’s death toll over the course of the pandemic now stands at 234, with all but seven of these fatalities coming in the first 33 days of 2022.

Deaths in aged care account for more than half of the overall tally at 118.

A child under 10 with severe underlying conditions was among Wednesday’s 16 fatalities.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has revealed a drop in daily Covid infections: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

Thursday’s update comes after the federal government gave 16- and 17-year-old Australians the green light to get their booster shots three months after their second dose.

“We will make sure our vaccination clinics are public clinics will be able to take 16 and 17 year olds, from today,” Queensland Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said at Thursday’s press conference.

Ms D’Ath also continued her recent run of criticism against the federal government and its handling of aged care cases during the pandemic.

She said reports of a new federal task force into aged care were all well and good if it meant a rapid response team would be deployed to help facilities around the state.

But she also argued that anything short of that was a potential waste of Commonwealth money.

“I look forward to hearing what this announcement is all about, what the taskforce is supposed to be doing,” Ms D’Ath said.

“But if this is a long-term task force to spend more money, that money would be better off put directly into aged care, making sure they‘ve got adequate staffing numbers, and making sure that they are meeting their compliance regulations to keep the residents safe.”

She also urged the federal government to “get on” with implementing the recommendations of the Aged Care Royal Commission.

Queensland Health Minister Yvette D’Ath has continued her recent run of criticism against the federal government and its handling of aged care during the pandemic. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

Thursday’s daily caseload was down from the 9630 infections reported on Wednesday, but Chief health officer Dr John Gerrard said government was still planning for further waves of the pandemic.

“We are particularly concerned about winter,” he said.

“We‘re not going to have the opportunity of seeing what’s happening in the northern hemisphere in advance.”

Dr Gerrard reported public sector hospitalisations dropped from 763 to 749, with the number of people in intensive care falling slightly to 46.

There are still 23 people on ventilators.

The number of private sector hospitalisations has fallen from 74 to 71.

Comparatively, NSW has 2578 people in hospitals and Victoria has 752.

Originally published as Queensland reports nine more Covid deaths as cases ease to 8643