Revealed: When Toowoomba region will hit 80 per cent vaccine target

A Christmas with families reunited and restrictions eased could be on the cards for Toowoomba residents. Here’s when we’ll hit the all-important vaccine target.

Eighty per cent of Toowoomba residents could be fully vaccinated against Covid before Christmas, if locals continue to roll up their sleeves.

As of October 11, we are 53 per cent fully vaccinated, but for the Garden City to hit the golden 80 per cent number that Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has outlined in a road map out of frequent lockdowns, residents would need to show up to clinics at the same rate as they have the previous five weeks.

On average, the total number of residents becoming fully vaccinated is increasing by three per cent every week.

Thanks to vaccine clinics in Clifford Gardens, Middle Ridge, and Harristown in Toowoomba, as well as across the region, our vaccine targets are in sight.

Health Minister Yvette D'Ath and Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young will hold a press conference. At Deception Bay High School. Pic Annette Dew

If numbers were to continue in this trajectory, the Toowoomba local government area would hit the 80 per cent threshold by the week beginning December 13 – eight weeks away.

Naturally, as more people are vaccinated, numbers will plateau to a point that we may not see an consistent increase in those vaccination numbers.

But a Christmas with borders open and relaxed restrictions is something Queenslanders have only dreamt of for the past 18 months.

In a daily press conference, Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said “time was up” for people to get vaccinated.

The next five to six weeks will be crucial for people to be vaccinated, to protect themselves against the highly infectious Delta strain.

“If someone wants a target, the target is getting yourself protected in the next five to six weeks,” she said.

“That needs to be your mission.

“This virus will go into every single community once Queensland opens up, once Australia opens up.

“The question is who is going to get this virus? The answer is whoever is not vaccinated.”

On Monday and Tuesday, Queensland recorded no new local cases of Covid-19.

But the lack of cases is not an excuse for Toowoomba residents to rest on their laurels.

Messages about vaccines being the only defence against the virus are ringing more true every day as the country continues to work towards vaccine targets – targets that are achievable with collective work from the entire country.

The message is clear – get vaccinated as soon as you can, so we can achieve a Christmas connected to the rest of the country.