Darling Downs Health prepared for potential surge of Covid cases as restrictions ease, borders open

Darling Downs Health has spent the past 18 months preparing for a potential spike in Covid cases, with purpose-built rooms at Toowoomba Hospital and critical care beds at the ready.

After spending 18 months preparing for the impacts of a surge in Covid cases, Darling Downs Health has reassured the community they’re ready to handle any increase in cases as the state moves towards open borders and eased restrictions.

This week Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk unveiled the state’s long-awaited road map towards opening up the state, with the domestic border to be opened on December 17 regardless of whether the 80 per cent target of vaccinations for eligible Queenslanders was reached.

By that date, travellers from an interstate hotspot will no longer need to quarantine, provided they are fully vaccinated and have had a negative Covid test in the previous 72 hours before arrival in the Sunshine State.

As part of their reopening plan, Queensland Health commissioned modelling from the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute which found that with eased restrictions and open borders many as 1200 positive cases could be recorded daily, with up to 400 people in ICU at any one time.

The modelling also found there would be higher rates of death in the elderly, while young children, although unable to be vaccinated, would be less likely to be symptomatic or suffer severe illness.

Darling Downs Health Service executive lead for the Covid-19 vaccination program Annette Scott, Monday, June 21, 2021. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Despite the worst-case scenario predictions, Darling Downs Health acting chief executive Annette Scott said extensive planned had been undertaken as part of their management of the pandemic.

“We have had 18 months to prepare and implement strategies to support a potential surge,” Ms Scott said.

“We have four existing negative pressure rooms with three additional purpose-built negative pressure rooms that have been put in place since the beginning of the pandemic. We are also able to stand up additional temporary HEPA filtered air extraction rooms to support suspected COVID-19 cases at the Toowoomba Hospital.

“There are seven additional negative pressure rooms available in our rural hospitals.

“The Toowoomba Hospital has the ability to extend to 17 critical care beds if needed.”

Ms Scott said while Darling Downs Health has planned for any potential surge in Covid case numbers, vaccination was still the best way to prevent any outbreaks in the region.

“Vaccination is so incredibly important. We’ve done all we can to keep our communities safe,” she said.

“We’ve popped up vaccination clinics right across our region – after hours and on weekends to capture working Queenslanders.

“We can’t protect people if they won’t protect themselves. We need people to get vaccinated, and we need them to do it now.

“Our only way out of this pandemic is for people to be vaccinated. We’re getting close to Christmas and that is often when we see family we don’t see much, and sometimes those family members are vulnerable. We’re counting on the people in our region to keep each other safe. Roll up your sleeve and get vaccinated.”