Queensland has recorded another 5,854 new COVID cases and eight people have lost their lives as new data reveals the majority of the state has passed the Omicron peak.
Of those who passed away two were aged in their 60s, four were in their 80s and two were in their 90s. Two were residents in aged care.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk also released new modelling showing state has fared much better during to Omicron than first feared.
Original forecasts predicted between 3,000-5,000 beds would be needed to deal with COVID-infected patients.
“We had a peak of 925 in hospital, and 71 in ICU,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“Today, that is down to 579 in hospitals and 46 in ICU.
“Based on that modelling, we can be confident our hospitalisations have peaked and are now trending down.”
Statistics appeared to show the Gold Coast, Metro North, West Moreton and Mackay had past the peak of the Omicron wave.
Metro South, Sunshine Coast, Cairns and the Hinterland are the areas that have just passed the peak.
Areas approaching the peak include Townsville, Wide Bay, North West and Torres Cape while the Darling Down and Central Queensland are yet to reach their peak.
It also revealed 8.7 per cent of Gold Coasters had now contracted the virus. The number was around 8.1 per cent in Cairns.
Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said she was pleased to see the pressure easing on the health system.
“I’m pleased with what we’re seeing with not just the data and modelling, but we are seeing for ourselves a reduction in hospital beds, in the pressure on our ambulances and our hospital system,” she said.
“There are still, of course, some of our hospitals and some hospital health services that are still managing reasonably high rates for normal time of year.
“This is because of COVID patients, but we are seeing most or many hospitals down to one or two wards now.
“At our peak we had nine wards dedicated at the Gold Coast alone.”
Meanwhile, the future of vaccine and mask mandates in the state remains up in the air.
When questioned about whether the mandates would end for the unvaccinated now that the state had surpassed the 90 per cent double-vaccinate rate, the Premier hinted there would be no changes until next month.
“We will review that when we come down off that wave at the end of February,” she said.
LNP leader David Crisafulli said a decision should be made sooner rather than later.
“It was very, very clear that at 90 per cent the decision would be reviewed .. and at the moment that’s not happening,” he said on Thursday.
“You made a commitment that you’d announce what it would look like.
“You can’t deny a contract that you’ve made with Queenslanders.
“That contract was that at 90 per cent that decision would be reviewed and good government’s take people on the journey.”
