Trials will not resume until at least February 21, with the situation to be reviewed on February 11.
With more than 72,000 new infections reported by Queensland Health in the past week, the strain has pushed testing capacity to the limits. Isolation requirements for confirmed cases and close contacts are also impacting business operation and supply chains.
The return of Queensland students for the 2022 school year has been delayed by two weeks in an attempt to stave off an anticipated peak of cases this month and into the first week of February.
After Chief Health Officer John Gerrard flagged a surge of cases and hospitalisations already occurring on the Gold Coast, Ms Palaszczuk told reporters in Maryborough on Tuesday that this was likely due to the large numbers of people holidaying in the tourist hotspot.
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“A lot of people are ending up our hospital wards, they’re ending up in ICU, and what we want to see is more people on the Gold Coast wearing their masks,” she said. “Just because you’re on holiday doesn’t mean you can’t get COVID.”
Ms Carroll said compliance operations by officers suggested it was “predominantly … people visiting the state” were the ones not wearing masks.
“So can I please ask, please ask, that you wear your mask,” she said. “And we will be as compassionate as we can about this, but at the end of the day if it’s blatant disregard you will be fined.”
As of Monday there were 419 people in hospitals across the state who had been diagnosed with COVID-19, 21 of which were in intensive care.
Despite Dr Gerrard citing “projections” about the peak of caseloads and pressure on the state’s hospital system to come, Ms Palaszczuk on Monday said the hospital admission figures were something they did not have at that time.
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Qld reports one death, 20,000 cases amid concern for masks on virus-hit coast
Source: Philippines Alive
