Queensland has experienced its deadliest day of the Covid-19 pandemic, announcing 24 deaths, as Annastacia Palaszczuk confirmed international visitors will only be required to be double vaccinated.
‘It is very difficult to announce these deaths each day,’ Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said on Wednesday.
She told reporters there had been 6,902 new cases in the state as she thanked Federal Defence Minister Peter Dutton for bringing the Australian Defence Force in to help in aged care facilities.
‘This is an issue across Australia in aged care and I do thank Peter Dutton for [bringing the ADF in],’ she said.
Ms Palaszczuk said Queensland will maintain the requirement for international travellers into the state to be double vaccinated once Australia’s borders open on February 21.
‘We will be keeping to double vaccination requirement unless ATAGI changes that to including the booster,’ Ms Palaszczuk said.
‘It is very difficult to announce these deaths each day,’ Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said
Chief Health Officer Dr John Gerrard said the deaths comprised one person in their 50s, two in their 60s, two aged in their 70s, eleven in their 80s, seven in their 90s and one person aged over 100.
Two people had not been vaccinated, one had received a single dose, 12 had received two doses, six had received a booster and the vaccination status of three people was unknown.
Dr Gerrard said he was encouraged by a further fall in hospitalisations, with 628 people in public hospitals with Covid in the last 24 hours, down from 663 people yesterday.
‘What I’m interested to see is when all hospitals just have a single ward where they’re looking after Covid patients,’ he said.
Dr Gerrard said reports Omicron was less severe than earlier variants were ‘not true’ and that vaccination was the reason for lower rates of hospitalisation and ICU admissions.
There are new Covid outbreaks in more than 200 aged care facilities across Queensland.
There had been 176 residents had now died during the current Omicron wave, and 325 Queenslanders in total.
Ms Palaszczuk thanks Federal Defence Minister Peter Dutton for bringing the Australian Defence Force in to help out in the state’s aged care facilities
Ms Palaszczuk said Queensland will maintain the requirement for international travellers into the state to be double vaccinated once Australia’s borders open on February 21
Ms Palaszczuk said Queensland will follow Victoria’s suggestion that international visitors will need to be triple vaccinated only if the official advice from ATAGI changes.
‘Until I hear any more, the double vaccination is sufficient.
‘We’ve been going through a really tough time with tourism… a lot of our state is heavily reliant on tourism, so the fact that in 12 days borders will be open, that is welcome news for businesses that have really been struggling.’
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has suggested international visitors to his state will require a third vaccine dose in order to move around freely after arrival.
He said he expected a decision from ATAGI on the issue this week.
Dr Gerrard said he did not expect to see a dramatic rise in cases as a result of the arrival of international visitors.
‘We think by the end of February it will be somewhere between one to two million Queenslanders who’ve been infected by this virus so far,’ he said.
Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said the state was prepared for ‘a new variant’ to be introduced as Australia’s international borders is re-opened.
Ms D’Ath also revealed 534 children had tested positive for Covid-19 on PCR results in the past 24 hours, but did not think the jump was related to the return of students to Queensland schools last Monday.
Dr Gerrard said substantial transmission of the virus had occurred between children during the school holidays.
He said most children will experience ‘very, very mild’ symptoms from the virus, but urged those with respiratory problems to be wary.
Queensland has finally hit the 90 per cent mark of those over 16 years to have received two doses of a Covid vaccine, after crawling towards the mark during December and January.
