A 23-month-old toddler has died from COVID-19 in Queensland, believed to be the state’s youngest victim of the virus.
The toddler succumbed to the virus in the Queensland Children’s Hospital in Brisbane on Sunday.
Officials have not confirmed whether they child had any other underlying medical issues.
Deputy Premier Steven Miles says the news is tragic.
“The death of a child is awfully sad and my heart just goes out to that family and of course our health workers who would have done everything they could to take care of that little child,” Dr Miles said.
Queensland has now recorded 1,491 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.
It comes amid warnings the current wave of COVID is set to get worse before it gets better and that the health system won’t cope.
Modelling released on Tuesday shows the wave is now not expected to peak until late August.
The state had more than 66,000 active cases reported on Tuesday while the number of people in hospital had risen to 1,123.
But the Premier warns that will increase in the coming weeks.
“I’m advised that in the current third wave, hospitalisations are likely to peak at around 1660 cases. This is close to 600 more than we currently have, and that peak is expected to be in late August,” the Premier told a budget estimates hearing on Tuesday.
Doctors warn the health system can’t cope as it is and the expected increase in hospitalisations will only make things worse.
“Currently, we’re seeing the equivalent one Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital taken up with COVID. Once the numbers go up by another 600 you can imagine the effects on the rest of the health system,” AMA Queensland President Dr Maria Boulton told Nine.
Dr Boulton has welcomed moves to open up some private hospital beds to help ease some of the pressure on the public system.
But she says the government needs to involve general practice more.
“General practice are seeing the bulk of COVID patients with very, very few resources. We could certainly use the resources so we can continue to help our emergency colleagues.”
