Queensland has recorded the highest daily number of COVID-19 related deaths with 18 people passing away in the last 24 hours, including an unvaccinated person aged in their 30s.
Four others were aged in the 60s, four were in their 70s, seven were in their 80s and two were in their 90s. 12 of those deaths occurred in aged care.
“This is not an easy task, having to report these deaths ,” Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said.
“Today is two years since our first case here in Queensland.
“It has been going on for two years and does not make it any easier, every day coming here to report these tragedies.”
There were another 9,974 cases reported across the state including 3,960 from rapid antigen tests.
Hospitalisations have continued to drop with 818 people currently receiving treatment in state facilities. 54 of those are in intensive care.
Chief Health Officer Dr John Gerrard said that fall was mostly due to the ongoing drop on the Gold Coast.
“It’s Gold Coast predominantly,” he said.
“We haven’t yet begun to see a clear fall in other parts of Queensland.
“The situation in most of Queensland, outside the Gold Coast, is very stable and we are expecting to see falls sometime in the next seven days.”
The Premier also released ‘worst case scenario’ modelling from just 18 days ago that authorities had been using for planning.
It expected that up to 5000 hospital beds would be needed at the height of the peak – much higher than the less than 1000 that eventuated.
The worst case modelling also predicted up to 500 patients in ICU.
“When you actually think about this you can understand why we have had so many sleepless nights,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“We were planning for the worst case scenario and it was quite frightening at the time.
“I am relieved.
“We’re not out of it yet .. but it is absolutely heartening, at this stage, that the modelling today is below even the lowest scenario.”
The Chief Health Officer also warned the crisis wasn’t over just yet and people shouldn’t rush to change their behaviours just yet.
“This is not over,” he said.
“The news is good so far but don’t go out and celebrate just yet.”
