The Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service is “well prepared” for an increase of COVID-19 cases, as the state enters its fourth wave of the pandemic.
Queenslanders have been advised to wear face masks, after hospitalisations more than doubled to 205 during the past week.
Seventy-three people have died and 21,761 new cases have been recorded since the start of October.
Case numbers have erupted since last weekend, with the BQ.1 variant spreading in northern Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk raised the virus alert level from green to amber.
READ: Mask advice: COVID warning upgraded to amber.
That means face marks are recommended indoors when people can’t socially distance, in healthcare facilities and around older or vulnerable people.
“The fourth wave that we have been expecting, now, we believe, has arrived but no one should be alarmed,” she told parliament on Thursday.
“We have been living with this virus for a long time and Queenslanders know what to do.”
A Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service spokesperson said they were ready.
“The service has managed previous increases of COVID-19 cases and is well prepared to continue this care,” the spokesperson said.
Last week, there were six patients in the local hospital and 11 patients being cared for in the virtual ward (who are cared for via phone calls and remote monitoring).
This week, there are four patients in hospital, one of whom is in ICU, and 11 patients being cared for in the virtual ward.
People are advised to take a rapid antigen test every two days if someone in their household has COVID.
The current wave is expected to peak within four to six weeks, with hopes it will be “short and sharp” with the worst passing before Christmas
Queensland’s vaccination rate remains at 91.5 per cent with Health Minister Yvette D’Ath urging people to book in their booster shots to better protect themselves from infection.
“We know that some of the best protection against this virus comes from ensuring that we are fully up to date with our booster doses,” she told parliament.
Vulnerable Queenslanders may also be eligible to receive COVID-19 antivirals coupled with vaccination, she said.
“This provides significant protection against the virus and provides the best chance of preventing serious illness,” Ms D’Ath said.
“Queenslanders have been put to the test time and time again and each and every time we have prevailed. I’m sure this time will be no different.”
Dr Gerrard said the new wave was expected, and hopefully it will peak in four to six weeks.
“We expect to see waves of this intermediate waves of this type continuing for some months or even longer,” he told reporters.
“We are pretty confident that the peak of the wave will occur prior to Christmas, that’s not the end of the wave but the peak of the wave.
“The shape of this particular wave is difficult to predict … recent experience overseas has suggested that these waves now that there was a lot of immunity in the community might be short and sharp, and we’re hoping that will be the case with this one.”
The CHO’s powers to order the state’s borders shut, lock down cities or mandate vaccines for the general public were revoked by parliament last month.
Dr John Gerrard can still legally order infected people to isolate and close contacts to quarantine, and mandate face masks and vaccination in health facilities for another 12 months.
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