Queensland in grips of new Covid wave as virus continues to mutate

Queensland is in the grips of a Covid-19 wave, with calls for vaccine boosters as the number of people hospitalised with the virus doubled in a fortnight.

People are being urged to get Covid vaccine boosters in the midst of a Covid wave.

Queensland is in the grips of a Covid-19 wave the chief health officer has warned, with the number of people hospitalised with the virus doubling in a fortnight.

Experts believe the risk of getting sick will increase through the festive season as they issue a plea for Queenslanders to get the most up to date vaccine against newer variants.

Queensland Health confirmed an average of 258 people a day were in hospital across the state with Covid-19 as of the week ending December 15 — more than double the 113 daily average at the start of the month.

Chief health officer Dr Heidi Carroll said Covid-19 was not going away and the virus had continued to mutate.

“Queensland is experiencing another wave,” she said.

“We’re now in peak festive gathering season, which unfortunately means Queenslanders are at greater risk of catching and spreading the virus.

Queensland Health surveillance testing shows the XEC subvariant – first detected in Italy in May 2024 before reaching Australian shores in October — has become the dominant strain in the state in a matter of weeks.

The number of people hospitalised in Queensland has doubled.

Mater Health infectious disease director Professor Paul Griffin said there were “no signs” the current wave had peaked in Queensland, though other states like Victoria have been through the worst of recent surge.

“Certainly with the increase in hospitalisations, we wouldn’t expect that we’re through the peak of this wave necessarily and with people travelling and gathering at this time of year … there is certainly possibility that things will get a lot worse before they get better,” he said.

Australia’s peak immunisation body ATAGI has recommended those 75 years or older get vaccinated against Covid-19 every six months, with those aged 65 to 74 to get a jab every 12 months.

But federal health data shows Queensland’s aged care population has the lowest Covid-19 booster coverage in the country, with 48.1 per cent of residents aged 75 and up receiving a six monthly dose as of mid-December.

Dr Carroll said most of those in hospital were older than 65 and not up to do date with vaccinations.

“Those aged 65 years and older continue to be at greater risk from Covid-19 and I’m very concerned about the rapidly increasing number of elderly Queenslanders being hospitalised,” she said.

“We can halt the momentum of this Covid-19 wave if people ensure their vaccinations are up to date, especially our most vulnerable, stay home if they are unwell and practise good hygiene.”

Prof Griffin said those who haven’t had Covid-19 or a booster dose for a while will feel the infection more acutely.

“It’s a little bit like the flu, and we need to maintain a level of protection, that’s why we basically want most adults to get a vaccine probably once a year,” he said.

Originally published as Queensland in grips of new Covid wave as virus continues to mutate