Covid Qld: Vaccination mandate to be scrapped at most venues as eight deaths and 9946 new cases recorded

Queensland’s vaccination mandate will be scrapped for most venues, including bars and restaurants, next week meaning Queenslanders can socialise in public whether vaccinated or not, as 9946 cases and eight deaths are recorded. It comes amid confirmation the latest peak of the virus has passed.

Queensland’s vaccination mandate is set to be lifted in most venues across the state, including pubs, clubs, cafes, restaurants and more, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has confirmed.

It comes as the state recorded 9946 new cases of Covid-19 and eight deaths in the past 24 hours.

“The restrictions we had in place did their job,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

From 1am Thursday, April 14 most venues that have been open to only to vaccinated people, will be open to all including pubs, clubs, cafes, restaurants, theme parks, cinemas, weddings, showgrounds, libraries and stadiums.

Vaccinations requirements will still apply in vulnerable settings.

Chief health officer Dr John Gerrard said while community transmission of the second wave had now reached its peak, hospitalisations will start to decline from now until Easter.

“We have solid evidence now that we have passed the peak of transmission of the secondary Covid wave,” he said.

Dr Gerrard said the state will lift the mandate when the hospitalisations are expected to start dropping.

“Our focus now in terms of vaccination requirements will be in terms of high risk settings … Focusing on hospitals, aged care centres, prisons and schools,” he said.

“Vaccination will remain the key going forward.”

Ms Palaszczuk said that last year, authorities were concerned about vaccination rates, however the majority of the state was now over 95 per cent.

“There are still pockets of the state where we would like to see further vaccinations, but the time has come,” she said.

“With these high rates of vaccination, now is the time for families to reunite. It has been an incredibly stressful time for everybody. People need to get on with their lives.”

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said it was a “great day for all Queenslanders” as the vaccine mandate was lifted.

“We know when we put these measures in late last year that it was tough to do so, but it did its job,” she said.

She said it was still important to protect the most vulnerable.

Chief Health Officer Dr John Gerrard. Photo Steve Pohlner

Ms D’Ath said the state was lifting the mandate in a “considered and careful” way to give businesses certainty and notice.

“Lifting it in these venues we know is going to make a big difference to business out there and hopefully make our economy grow even stronger,” she said.

Ms D’Ath confirmed there will also no longer be need for the check-in app at those venues where the mandate will be lifted.

Ms D’Ath said the incentive for Queenslanders to still get vaccinated would be to protect the most vulnerable groups.

“We owe it to every person who can’t get vaccinated for medical reasons … to get vaccinated to reduce the risk of spread,” she said.

Dr Gerrard said it would be “very unlikely” for the mandate to be reimposed unless there was another much worse strain that appeared.

“It is not our intention to go backwards on these mandates,” he said.

He also said in the current situation, it wouldn’t be mandatory for Queenslanders to get their fourth dose.

Dr Gerrard said Queenslanders should be aware that the new strain would remain in the community.

“It’s going to continue to spread … what we are saying is this particular measure (the vaccine mandate) has no public health benefit now,” he said.

Ms D’Ath said the number of health staff in quarantine and isolation has come down over the week.

She said there was more than double this number of staff off work during the peak in January.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said now is the time for Queensland families to reunite. Picture: Liam Kidston.

There are now 479 people in hospital with the virus including 15 in ICU.

Active cases in the state have reached 58,916.

The number of health staff who are currently off work due to Covid however has surpassed the first peak in early February by more than 500.

Ms Palaszczuk and Ms D’Ath spoke in Kingaroy this morning at the opening of the new hospital. Ms D’Ath said that in the Darling Downs region alone, there were 238 health workers who were off work quarantining or isolating due to Covid.

Originally published as Covid Qld: Vaccination mandate to be scrapped at most venues as eight deaths and 9946 new cases recorded