queensland Premier Anastasia Palaszczuk announced yet another rapid rise in the state’s COVID count with 369 new cases, as she warned residents of the Gold Coast to raise vaccination rates at the tourist bar.
The number has doubled after 186 cases were announced yesterday.
Ms Palaszczuk urged people on the Gold Coast to get vaccinated because the tourist strip lagged behind the state average.
“I’m still concerned that vaccine coverage here on the Gold Coast isn’t enough, which is one reason we’re having the press conference here today,” the premier said.
‘In the southeast of our state, essentially every area except the Gold Coast region is above 90 percent.
The number of Queenslanders with the first dose of the vaccine on the Gold Coast currently stands at 88.8 percent.
‘It is absolutely necessary that we increase vaccination rates on the Gold Coast.’
Ms Palaszczuk said there would be no change to the current border arrangement and that the ‘roadmap stands’.
‘Our response is that we have always kept Queenslanders safe and the measures that were taken were the measures outlined in the road map and the road map stood.
‘Also, I’m concerned on the Gold Coast that we don’t have the high rates of vaccinations required in tourist destinations.
‘There are thousands of people coming here from New South Wales and Victoria where the virus is rampant and they are coming into the Gold Coast and the Gold Coast is exposed because people haven’t been vaccinated.’
Ms Palaszczuk said more than 30,000 people a day were trying to enter Queensland during the holiday period.
He took issue with suggestions that the state should drop the requirement of PCR test for entry into the state before January 1.
Queensland Premier Annastasia Palaszczuk urges people on the Gold Coast to get vaccinated as the tourist strip lags behind the state average, with 88.8 percent of its residents having their first dose of the COVID vaccine
Queensland Premier Annastasia Palaszczuk announces another rapid rise in the state’s COVID count to 369 new cases
Ms Palaszczuk said more than 30,000 people a day were trying to enter Queensland during the holiday period
“It’s not just Queensland, people are traveling all over the country,” she said. ‘People traveling everywhere need a PCR test.
‘It’s a little Sydney-sided at the moment.’
Chief Health Officer Dr John Gerrard said more than 163 people in Queensland were being managed at home with Covid but were ‘not sick’ with the virus, while 93 were in hospital.
Only one patient is in the ICU, but he has other medical problems as well.
Dr Gerrard said the spread of the Omicron version was ‘inevitable’ and acknowledged it was essential that Australians catch on.
‘This Omicron variant is extremely contagious, not only is the spread of this virus inevitable, it is essential.’ Dr. Gerrard said.
‘For us to go from an epidemic phase to an endemic phase, the virus has to be widespread.
‘You all have to develop immunity and there are two ways to do that, getting vaccinated or getting infected.
‘Once we do that, once we all have a degree of immunity, the virus becomes endemic, and that’s what’s going to happen.’
Dr Gerrard said there were no plans to close the Queensland border again.
‘Nothing has changed. Our roadmap is clear, we are not going backwards.
The state plans to further ease border restrictions, including dropping the controversial PCR test requirement within 72 hours of arrival and on the fifth day, when 90 percent of Queenslanders are fully vaccinated under the current definition of two doses.
Ms Palaszczuk is under pressure to drop the requirement for laboratory testing for passengers, after she was accused of long queues for testing in NSW and Victoria.
Long test queues in NSW and Victoria were blamed by Queensland for requiring PCR testing for people entering the Sunshine State.
The state plans to further ease border restrictions, including eliminating the controversial PCR test requirement within 72 hours of arrival and on the fifth day, when 90 percent of Queenslanders are fully vaccinated
At yesterday’s press conference he argued with reporters about the need for testing, claiming that only 10 percent of those queuing for testing in NSW had planned to travel to Queensland.
New cases were detected across the state, including Brisbane, Central Queensland, Gympie, Noosa, Redlands, Southern Downs, Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba, Townsville and WhatsApp.
Doctor Gerard said yesterday that Kovid is now ‘everywhere’.
“And we know that we are not taking every case so that the number of 186 is underestimating the number of people who are already carrying this virus,” he said.
‘This is happening around the world, we are certainly not unique.
‘Omicron is clearly becoming dominant it will completely overtake delta and we would expect fewer and fewer delta cases over time.
The state scored 90 percentile of eligible residents yesterday with a single dose of the COVID vaccine.
Ms Palaszczuk said the need for PCR testing would remain, but she would consider the use of rapid antigen tests as evidence of negative COVID status after 1 January: Image: Cars entering Queensland from NSW in Coolangatta
Ms Palaszczuk said the need for PCR testing would continue, but she would consider using rapid antigen tests as evidence of negative COVID status after January 1.
‘We are happy to have some more advice from AHPPC’ [Australian Health Protection Principal Committee] About rapid antigen test
‘We’re getting some more advice on how they can be administered and how you’ll be able to get confirmation [of a negative result],
“If it is approved, we can use them in the new year from January 1, but between now and the new year, we will need those PCR tests for people coming to our state.
“It’s frustrating for people in NSW because so many people are being tested, because the variant, Omicron, is prevalent in NSW,” he said.
‘And guess what, I don’t want this to happen in a big way in Queensland. I wish Queenslandians a good, safe New Year’s Eve.
Queensland’s Chief Health Office Dr John Gerrard said yesterday that COVID is now ‘everywhere’. ‘This is happening around the world, we are certainly not unique’
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said yesterday that only one passenger in 1,000 was returning a positive PCR test, but that he accounted for about 25 percent of those staying in Covid clinics.
The fear is that those who are being tested for travel are actually symptomatic to be tested because of the delay.
The continued rise in cases since Queensland reopened its border to visitors from interstate hotspots on 13 December prompted an extension of the state’s mask mandate yesterday.
From 5 am today, workers and patrons in cinemas and cinemas will be required to wear masks, while employees in hospitality venues such as pubs and restaurants will also be required to wear masks.
Masks are already mandatory in supermarkets and other retail, as well as on public transport and rideshares.
“We want to keep our restaurants and our cafes and everything running on Christmas and New Year’s,” she said.
The vaccination rate of eligible Queenslanders with a single dose had reached 90.1 percent and 85.26 percent were fully vaccinated.
Queensland on Tuesday eased quarantine requirements for double-vaccinated close contacts of Covid-19 cases, halving the isolation period from 14 days to a week.
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