COVID-19 Australia: Vaccine rollout change, Queensland has 8 new cases
The vaccine rollout stoush could see NSW hospitals come on board to help as Queensland has eight more COVID cases recorded.
Coronavirus
Don't miss out on the headlines from Coronavirus. Followed categories will be added to My News.
NSW hospitals could soon be called in to help boost the vaccine rollout following days of fiery exchanges between state leaders and the federal government.
Each this week blamed the other for failing to reach their individual vaccine targets.
About 750,000 jabs have been administered nationwide so far - well short of the four million target which was expected to be achieved by the end of March.
This means 200,000 people will need to roll up their sleeves every day to reach the goal of all Australian adults getting their first dose of the jab by the end of October.
State leaders argue they’re being left in the dark about how many doses they’re getting and have slammed the federal government for accusing them of stockpiling vaccines.
On Thursday NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian echoed her ongoing plea, urging the Morrison government to allow the state’s hospitals to help with the rollout if they fall under the federal government’s jurisdiction.
NCA NewsWire understands Ms Berejiklian’s calls have been answered with the federal government looking to accept her offer.
The government plans to mass vaccination clinics for phase 2A, Professor Brendan Murphy told senate estimates last week.
Victoria has been given a head start with plans underway for four vaccination centres while more mass centres will be established in other states as the rollout program gathers pace.
Hospitals will be able to vaccinate people from group 1B but the decision to do so will lay with the NSW government.
Professor Murphy was repeatedly probed about vaccination targets but said it would depend on local supply from CSL.
“We want to wait and see what the output from CSL is before we give more accurate predictions,” he said,
“I am not in a position to give an exact figure. It would be pointless before we’ve got absolute certainty about the CSL rollout.”
Earlier this week, NSW health minister Brad Hazzard fired up during a media address declaring he had “never been more angry”.
His outburst came following a media report critical of the NSW government’s vaccine rollout. He appeared to blame the federal government for the story’s source material
“I am as angry as I have ever been in these 15 months of war against this virus,” Mr Hazzard said on Wednesday.
“I am extremely angry and I know there are other health ministers in the country who share similar views, state and territory health ministers.
“It is not appropriate that we wake up and find figures put into the media that haven’t been shared with any state or territory governments. It is not appropriate that those figures be put in a light that is misleading.”
Premier Berejiklian, too, was disappointed, calling the report “misleading” and the situation “extremely unfair”.
The news report claimed NSW had been handed some 190,000 doses from the Commonwealth, but only administered about 96,000 of them.
Mr Hazzard took the opportunity to hit back at the federal government, saying their own vaccine rollout had been less than perfect.
“Let‘s get this really, really clear: The NSW government was asked to roll out 300,000 vaccinations to the groups in 1A and 1B. Of that we have done 100,000,” he said.
“The Federal Government was asked and is responsible for 5.5 million people and they have rolled out 50,000. I think the figures speak for themselves.”
Minister Hazzard’s office has been contacted for comment.
QLD HAS 8 NEW CASES
Queensland has recorded eight new cases today with seven acquired overseas and detected in hotel quarantine.
There is one historical case which is believed to be the missing link to the first cluster.
Premier Anastasia Palaszczuk said it was great news for Queensland with 35,357 tests undertaken yesterday.
The state’s Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said everyone involved in the two clusters which led to a lockdown in Greater Brisbane had done “everything wonderfully”.
“It’s been an enormously successful process in terms of people coming forward,” she said.
Health authorities believe they have solved the mystery connection between the two Brisbane clusters which triggered the snap lockdown.
The Sunshine State reported one new locally acquired case on Friday -- a historical infection of a nurse who worked at the Princess Alexandra Hospital.
It is assumed this nurse was infected by the same returning traveller being treated at the Brisbane hospital as the original infection in a doctor on March 10.
This nurse did not fall ill, but passed the deadly virus on to her partner who then became the source of the cluster which spread across Brisbane’s inner north.
“So this is yet another nurse who has unfortunately, through doing nothing wrong, has contracted the infection from a gentleman who is clearly a super-spreader,” chief health officer Jeannette Young said on Friday.
“So then it spread within that network and then we had the gentleman come forward, just out of the blue, and get tested.
“Due to all of those people doing what they did, so effectively, we found that cluster. And we’ve got it under control.”
VACCINE ROLLOUT STOUSH
The vaccine rollout stoush between the states and the federal government fired up again as federal cabinet minister David Littleproud saying he “won’t be lectured” by the states.
“I won’t be lectured to by a man who was sacked as health minister and a government that was derelict in their duty of protecting their frontline health workers by not having them fully vaccinated before they treated COVID patients,” Mr Littleproud said in a statement, according to a report in The Australian.
And as Queensland lifted its lockdown in time for Easter, Deputy Premier Steven Miles warned the state would run out of Pzifer vaccines this weekend, causing concern for GPs about the insecurity of the vaccine supply which is a responsibility of the federal government.
Mr Littleproud’s statement was in response to comments made by Mr Miles who claimed that he “hadn’t heard of” the deputy leader of the national party until this week.
Federal health minister Greg Hunt attempted to play down the stoush, claiming there was no rift between governments and that the rollout was continuing to ramp up.
QUEENSLAND ESCAPES EASTER ROLLOUT
It comes as the Brisbane lockdown was lifted in Queensland on Thursday.
The three-day shutdown was due to expire at 5pm yesterday but Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk brought it forward to noon, due to all local cases in the past 48 hours being linked to a known infection.
“That is good news for Queensland and Easter is good to go,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
A number of new restrictions have come into effect however, including the enforcement of wearing masks in public until April 15.
“All Queenslanders will be required to carry a mask when they leave their home,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
The state’s Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young applauded residents in the Sunshine State for limiting community transmission during the outbreak but warned the risk of further infections was not over.
“We have to, unfortunately, keep those restrictions that have been in place for the next 14 days because we’re not completely cleared yet,” she said.
“We think we can manage it with those restrictions and with the response that we have seen from Queenslanders, but it doesn’t mean the outbreak is over.
“It just means that I don’t believe we need the lockdown to manage this outbreak going forward, we can use those other restrictions.”
BYRON MUSIC FESTIVAL CANCELLED
Byron Bay’s Bluesfest has been cancelled for the second straight year after a local man tested positive on Tuesday night.
The NSW government announced that the festival – which was hailed as the first major Australian music festival post-COVID – would not be permitted to go ahead over Easter.
The move follows tougher restrictions being put on parts of northern NSW amid the new locally acquired case of coronavirus.
NSW Health said Health Minister Brad Hazzard signed a public health order cancelling the festival, which was scheduled to take place on the Easter long weekend from Thursday through to Monday.
“NSW Health acknowledges that the cancellation of Bluesfest is disappointing for ticket holders and event organisers, however while urgent investigations and contact tracing are ongoing, NSW Health is adopting a cautious approach to keep everyone safe,” the ministry said in a statement.
“I hope that ticket holders would support Bluesfest and hold on to their tickets as I understand Bluesfest will be working on a new date as soon as possible,” Mr Hazzard said.
Mr Hazzard said a number of infectious Queensland travellers attended various venues in the Byron Bay area in recent days, with one traveller infecting a local man in his 20s at the Byron Beach hotel on the evening of Friday 26 March.
Up to 15,000 people were expected to attend the festival, which was to have featured performances by Jimmy Barnes, Kasey Chambers, Tash Sultana and Kate Ceberano, among others.
Bluesfest director Peter Noble said he was “heartbroken” over the cancellation.
“We really wanted to be at the forefront of the return of live music at pre-COVID-19 level,” Mr Noble said in a statement.
“We feel deeply for everybody affected, the fans, the artists, and the hardworking Bluesfest team. But in the end, the health of our community must come first. We will be having discussions regarding Bluesfest postponement and will update everybody soon.”
CASE ATTENDED HEN’S PARTY
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the state’s recent positive case attended a hen’s party in Byron Bay but took a COVID test and isolated.
It comes after 17,000 COVID tests on Tuesday.
A a result the premier on Wednesday announced restrictions for the Byron, Ballina, Tweed and Lismore.
Home visitors will be limited to 30, all venues will be mandated by a four square metre rule and everyone must be seated.
“The positive news in all of this is we’re not saying to businesses shut your doors, quite the opposite,” the premier said.
“We are saying you can keep your doors open but because of the risk that is there, we want you to be extra cautious. Until the end of Easter, you are able to keep your doors open but make sure you revert to the four square metre rule and make sure that all of your patrons
are seated and not standing up and mingling.”
CLICK HERE FOR NSW EXPOSURE SITES
STRIPPER LINKED TO BYRON BAY, QLD CLUSTERS
A male stripper performed at a Byron Bay hen’s party over the weekend and visited a Gold Coast aged care facility while infected with COVID-19.
The man, who works as a tradesperson during the week and performs as an exotic dancer on weekends, is linked to a second Queensland cluster.
The first cluster has been linked to a doctor from the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane. The second cluster, currently responsible for five infections, is linked to a nurse from the same hospital, who travelled to Byron Bay with her sister for a party where the tradie was also in attendance.
“One of the positive cases in that second cluster attended the hens party as an entertainer,” Queensland’s chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young said on Tuesday.
This man allegedly became infected at the party before returning to the Gold Coast where he attended the TriCare Mermaid Beach Aged Care Residence as a contractor working on refurbishments.
Dr Young said every resident at the facility has already received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, but precautions are still being taken.
A gym, shopping centre and cafe are among four new venues added to Queensland’s COVID-19 alert list.
Anyone who visited the following places at the specified times should get tested immediately, even if you have no symptoms, and isolate until you receive a negative test result:
CLICK HERE FOR LIST OF QLD EXPOSURE SITES
CHIEF MINISTER IN ISOLATION
The Northern Territory’s Chief Minister has been forced into isolation after coming into contact with people from Queensland’s COVID-19 hot spots and showing symptoms for the virus.
“I am mildly symptomatic and while low risk recognise the importance of obeying the health advice,’ Michael Gunner shared via social media on Tuesday.
The 45-year-old Labor leader spent time with his in-laws over the weekend, who had arrived from the arrived from the Queensland hotspot area of Toowoomba.
Mr Gunner is now awaiting test results.
EASTER HOLIDAY PLANS IN CHAOS
Holidays are up in the air after Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Monday announced Greater Brisbane would enter a snap, three-day lockdown.
Ms Palaszczuk declared Greater Brisbane a hotspot and urged premiers from other states across the country to do the same thing.
Western Australia introduced a hard border with Queensland from 12.01am on Tuesday, labelling the state a “medium risk” following the “escalating situation” with its COVID-19 outbreak.
In recent days Queensland had been classified as a “low risk” state under WA’s controlled interstate border rules.
Premier Mark McGowan said updated advice had been received from the WA chief health officer on Monday.
Victoria declared Greater Brisbane a red zone under Victoria’s travel permit system as of 6pm Victorian time on Monday.
A red zone means non-Victorian residents are not allowed to enter Victoria without an exception, specified worker permit, transit permit, freight worker permit, or exemption.
Victorian residents in Greater Brisbane can apply for a ‘red zone’ permit to return home, but must quarantine for 14 days as soon as they arrive.
Tasmania updated its public health advice on Monday after news of the lockdown broke.
Anyone who has travelled to the Greater Brisbane local government areas in the past 14 days is now no longer permitted to enter the state unless they are classified as an essential traveller.
South Australian Premier Steven Marshall quickly followed suit, declaring no one from the Greater Brisbane area would be allowed into the state from 4pm on Monday.
Essential workers, South Australian residents and people relocating permanently for work will be permitted but will have to self-quarantine for 14 days.
Mr Marshall said he wasn’t happy about instituting a hard border and it would come down as soon as was safe.
COVID ‘PARTY HOST’ BREAKS SILENCE
A Brisbane man with COVID-19 falsely accused of hosting a party while awaiting his test results has broken his silence, saying Queensland Health “mixed up” contact tracing information.
Lachlan Simpson, 25, tested positive to the virus on Friday night after his friend, a 26-year-old Stafford man, returned a positive result on Thursday.
Queensland Health released a statement on Saturday night, saying Mr Simpson had hosted a party for 25 people while awaiting his test results.
But Health Minister Yvette D’Ath backtracked on that claim on Sunday, saying only five people were in the home.
Queensland Police on Sunday night confirmed that no one apart from Mr Simpson and his four housemates had been in the house while they awaited their test results.
Mr Simpson told Nine News he had hosted a gathering of 25 people “two weeks prior” to getting tested.
“My heart’s been racing for the last 24 hours … I didn’t have a party with 25 people,” he said from his isolated room at the Royal Brisbane Hospital on Sunday.
“Somehow they’ve taken that day and moved it forward to Friday.
“We went on a pub crawl the next day (after the gathering two weeks ago) but I think at that point I had no symptoms at all.”
Ms D’Ath did not apologise to Mr Simpson on Sunday when asked if she would like to and has failed to explain how the incorrect information was released.
“That is the information that I was briefed on at the time,” she said.
“I understand that the health officials who originally spoke to this gentleman … they say that’s what they understood he had told them.
“Whether it was a misunderstanding at the time, or what it was, I can’t tell you.
“I wasn’t there. I didn’t hear the conversation.”
Queensland Police confirmed on Sunday night that their independent investigation had found no evidence of wrongdoing.
“Police investigators have not found any evidence to warrant action being taken against a man following reports of a house party involving people in quarantine at Strathpine,” a statement read.
“Inquiries into this matter are now finalised.”
Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski told Today on Monday that police had acted quickly to try to stop “the virus spreading.”
“In policing, people tell us lots of things and we have to run it out and work out what the truth is, and it takes time sometimes … but in a pandemic you have to act quickly,” he said.
“What we are worried about, and what we have seen previously, is there is a strong reaction against people who are seen to have spread COVID … We wanted to jump on that and stop that happening.”
Queensland Health has also updated their contact tracing information based on Mr Simpson’s movements while he was unknowingly infectious.
– with Shae McDonald, Ellen Ransley
More Coverage
Originally published as COVID-19 Australia: Vaccine rollout change, Queensland has 8 new cases
Join the conversation
State’s big move on cutting-edge vaccines
One Aussie state has revealed its next move on a major vaccine development project – which promises to change the way it responds to future health challenges.
Read more
$1.1m plan to overhaul Long Covid, chronic fatigue care
Guidelines to treat the 750,000-plus Australians who have Long Covid and chronic fatigue syndrome are more than two decades old. See the plan to fix them.
Read more