Queensland records 10,953 new Covid cases as Annastacia Palaszczuk warns of a huge wave of infections still to come and urges people to work from home
- Queensland records 10,953 Covid cases taking active total to 50,000 on Friday
- Hospitalisations hit 327 with 14 people in intensive care 3 needing ventilation
- Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk urged people to work from home if they are able
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Queensland has recorded 10,953 new COVID-19 cases as authorities urge people to work from home and consider delaying the return of children to primary school.
The new cases emerged after 36,492 tests in the 24 hours to 6.30am on Friday, taking the total number of active cases in the state to more than 50,000.
There are 327 patients in hospital, with 14 in intensive care including three on ventilation.
Queensland has recorded 10,953 new Covid-19 cases on Friday as Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk (pictured) urges people to work from home to curb the spread
There are 24,843 people being treated at home and many more self-isolating as close contacts.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has urged people to work from home if they are able, with public servants already ordered to do so.
‘Can I stress to employers if you do not need people working in the city at the moment, please work from home,’ she told reporters on Friday.
‘This will help slow down this wave, but I don’t think this message has been getting out very clearly to employees.’
The premier also said the return of primary school will be delayed if the current wave is peaking when children are due to resume classes again in three week’s time.
She said modelling is being done and children – many of whom will be unvaccinated – won’t be put at further risk.
The new cases emerged after 36,492 tests were conducted in the 24 hours to 6.30am on Friday (pictured, residents line-up for Covid-19 PCR tests)
‘We will give you more concrete decisions on this over the coming days. But I just want to assure parents that is definitely not on the agenda – just sending primary school children unvaccinated to school if we are in the peak of this wave,’ Ms Palaszczuk said.
‘This is a commonsense measure.’
The surging cases, which follow from the 10,332 reported on Thursday, comes as testing capacity is being pushed to the brink and authorities warn many undetected infections are likely to be circulating in the state.
The unexpected closure of private PCR testing hubs due to staffing issues related to virus cases and close contact isolation rules, and a slow down in analysis speed due to the high demand is weighing on capacity.
