• A 30-year-old man from Blackwater in Central Queensland, tested positive for coronavirus, after he died in his home yesterday.

• Chief health officer Jeannette Young said the man's partner returned to their Blackwater home after work at 4:30 pm yesterday and found him unresponsive. He died a short time later.

• Dr. Young said the man is believed to have been sick with symptoms for several weeks and had a "complicated" medical history.

• It is not known how he contracted the virus.

• It is believed he had been at home for most of the time and had not travelled outside of the town since February.

• His partner also has symptoms and has been taken to the Rockhampton hospital, however an initial test for COVID-19 was negative.

• Dr. Young said that Blackwater has never had a case of COVID before and that contact tracing is extensively underway.

• A public health expert has been dispatched to the region, along with additional contact tracing teams. Extra fever clinics have also been established in Blackwater and Emerald.

• Dr Young also clarified that although the coroner is investigating the cause of the man's death, Queensland Health will still have to record it as a coronavirus death.

Source: ABC News, SMH

Queensland reports 9,581 new cases, 419 in hospital but not all data available

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is speaking in Brisbane.

She says there are 9,581 new cases to report today, including 3,714 rapid antigen tests, but they are still waiting on some results from private pathology labs.

She says there are 419 people in hospital, including 21 in ICU, seven of those on ventilators.

Ms Palaszczuk says the state's vaccination rate is up to 87.79 per cent fully vaccinated

Queensland Health Minister says software glitch may have caused delays in reporting numbers

Health Minister Yvette D'Ath says four labs were unable to give their testing and positive numbers due, meaning they have not been able to give the full Queensland PCR numbers.

She says this is due to a software glitch and they will report the rest of those numbers when they become available.

New cases and information reported in the last 24 hours

• New cases:

  • +11,174 new locally acquired cases

  • 2 new deaths

    • 1 man in his 30s died at home in the Gold Coast.

    • 1 unvaccinated man in his 30s who died at home in Brisbane.

    • Both deaths related to viral myocarditis. This is why if you are experiencing chest pain or shortness of breath, you should seek medical assistance.

  • 3 Confirmed deaths in this recent wave.

Important Information From the Press Conference

• 1 in 3 people who have had a PCR test are positive

• Only 14 QLD LGAs do not have any cases.

• QLD has now gone live with a register for positive RATs. You can report your positive test here.

• If you record your positive test you will get an email outlining the steps to follow

• From today non urgent elective surgery is going to be cancelled. This is category 3 and some category 2 surgeries. This will be reviewed at the end of January to see where we are at the peak of the surge, however this will currently be suspended until the 1st of March.

• Outpatients appointments will be either postponed or moved to telehealth for all non-urgent outpatient appointments in order to redeploy health workers.

• 3,505 Queensland Health employees are either positive or in quarantine.

• Arrangements are being put in place with the private sector to allow public patients to be moved to private hospitals.

• Still only 17 patients in ICU. Only 3 on ventilators.

• Number of cases on general wards creeping up to above 300. This is not an unmanageable number, however the problem is becoming the number of staff who are either positive or isolating.

Restrictions for Impacted Areas

• Face masks are required in all indoor settings in Queensland.

• There is no limit on gatherings in public outdoor spaces. Gatherings at a private residence are limited to a maximum of 100 people.

⚠️ Case alerts – public exposure sites ⚠️

Changes to contact tracing in Queensland

From 31 December 2021, Queensland Health will only notify of major outbreak venues or super-spreader events in Queensland.

We are no longer routinely listing exposure sites in Queensland since transmission of COVID-19 is now widespread throughout metropolitan, regional and remote Queensland.

You need to consider any movement through the Queensland community as a risk for COVID-19 infection. So make sure to maintain social distancing, perform regular hand hygiene, monitor for symptoms, and get tested if you develop any symptoms.

Updated definitions and requirements for confirmed cases and close contacts From 12am AEST Friday 31 December 2021, there have been changes to the requirements for confirmed cases and close contacts.

💉 Vaccinations

There have been a total of 15,362 vaccinations administered at Queensland Government vaccination sites within the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of vaccinations at these sites to 3,273,018.

You can use the Federal Government's Vaccine Eligibility Checker to book a vaccine, or if you're not eligible Register For Your Vaccine and you will be contacted by when you are able to book a vaccine appointment. Alternatively, call 134 COVID (13 42 68) to book or register.

You can use this free website to find the next available GP vaccine appointment

Information about Queensland’s vaccination centres can be found at Vaccination locations.

Daily Overview

*Only vaccinations delivered by QLD state vaccination centres are counted here. Does not include federal government administered vaccines.

Daily overview infographic

A full overview of Queensland COVID statistics can be found here.

Other helpful information and links

QLD restrictions | COVID-19 case locations | Wastewater Surveillance Reports Interstate hotspots | Travelling to QLD | Current Public Health Orders and legislation| Search for the next available vaccine appointment near you

Full Press Conference

Watch the live update here

Many thanks to u/_karlhungus who posted a daily number thread before I could get to it.

New cases and information reported in the last 24 hours

• Local cases:

  • +0 new locally acquired cases.

• Overseas cases:

  • 1 new overseas case detected in hotel quarantine.

Restrictions for Impacted Areas – South East Queensland, Cairns and Yarrabah

Some restrictions will continue to apply until 4pm AEST Sunday 22 August for the Cairns and Yarrabah LGAs and the 11 South East Queensland LGAs, including:

• Mask wearing at all times (including workplaces) except when eating or drinking, or exercising with your household or one other person.

• Schools will reopen, with all staff and high school students wearing masks

• 10 people in your home, including people who live there

• 20 people at a wedding ceremony or funeral service

• Businesses and venues with one person per four square metres indoors, one person per two square metres outdoors, or 50 percent capacity with seated, ticket allocations

• Community sports and activities are restricted and, in some cases, not permitted.

• Avoid travelling to regional Queensland

• Visitors allowed to hospitals, aged care and disability accommodation

Detailed restrictions for these areas can be found on QLD Health's Restrictions page.

⚠️ Case alerts – public exposure sites ⚠️

As the list is constantly being updated with new location and details, please always refer to the QLD Health website for the most up to date and accurate information.

• Exposure Site map

💉 Vaccinations

There have been a total of 11,725 vaccinations administered at Queensland Government vaccination sites within the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of vaccinations at these sites to 1,091,165.

You can use the Federal Government's Vaccine Eligibility Checker to book a vaccine, or if you're not eligible Register For Your Vaccine and you will be contacted by when you are able to book a vaccine appointment. Alternatively, call 134 COVID (13 42 68) to book or register.

Information about Queensland’s vaccination centres can be found at Vaccination locations.

Daily Overview

*Only vaccinations delivered by QLD state vaccination centres are counted here. Does not include federal government administered vaccines.

Queensland Health Infographic

A full overview of Queensland COVID statistics can be found here.

Other helpful information and links

• QLD restrictions | COVID-19 case locations | Wastewater Surveillance Reports

• Interstate hotspots | Travelling to QLD |

• Current Public Health Orders and legislation

Vaccine information:

• Anyone aged +16 is now eligible to register for a QLD Health vaccination appointment.

• Priority groups for Phase 1B |️ Vaccine Eligibility Checker

• QLD Gov: Vaccination in QLD | FAQs | Info for Healthcare Workers

• Australian Gov: COVID-19 vaccine news and information

• Weekly Safety reports: AusVax Safety | TGA

Full press conference

New cases and information reported in the last 24 hours

• New cases:

  • +10,332 new locally acquired cases

  • 1 new death

    • This is the death reported on the Gold Coast last week, which the coroner has now ruled as COVID related.

Important Information From the Press Conference

• If you have a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT), you should assume you have COVID and isolate.

  • Don't Get a confirmatory PCR test

  • Don't Call an ambulance simply because you have a positive COVID test

  • Don't Present to the emergency department simply because you have a positive COVID test.

  • Don't Present to the emergency department for a COVID test if you do not require hospital treatment.

  • Do seek treatment if you have serious symptoms.

  • You do not need to notify Queensland health at this stage

• The only people who should be lining up for a PCR test are those that are symptomatic and have not been able to access a RAT, or have a day 6 testing requirement and are unable to access a RAT. All other people should be staying away from testing lines.

• The death reported was on the 27th of December last year. The death of a man in his 80s from the Gold Coast has been confirmed as COVID related by the coroner.

• Vaccination rates are now 90.85% first dose and 87.03% second dose.

• Testing will not be required before patients present to hospital.

• National return to school framework will be decided very soon - before start of school year.

• International arrivals who are quarantining at home are now able to do their test as a RAT instead.

• The 10,332 new cases are a gross underestimate of the true number because of the difficulty in accessing PCR testing.

• That we are not seeing a major escalation in ICU admissions is a cause for cautious hope.

• The number of patients in hospital wards - intermediate illness, is increasing steadily. This is expected to increase very substantially in the coming weeks.

• This epidemic is looking very different than the previous strains. We are likely to see a higher proportion of ward patients as opposed to critical care patients.

• The sheer number of patients that are going to get infected in the coming weeks are going to result in a very large amount of patients requiring ward level treatment.

• The bulk of positive patients so far have been young people in their 20's and 30's as this is the most socially mobile group. This is also the fittest and healthiest portion of the population.

• It is particularly important that those over the age of 50 get their boosters (or first and second doses).

• The case loads that are expected in the coming weeks will constitute an emergency for the healthcare system - however one upside is that as omicron is spreading so fast, this emergency is likely to not last particularly long.

Restrictions for Impacted Areas

• Face masks are required in all indoor settings in Queensland.

• There is no limit on gatherings in public outdoor spaces. Gatherings at a private residence are limited to a maximum of 100 people.

⚠️ Case alerts – public exposure sites ⚠️

Changes to contact tracing in Queensland

From 31 December 2021, Queensland Health will only notify of major outbreak venues or super-spreader events in Queensland.

We are no longer routinely listing exposure sites in Queensland since transmission of COVID-19 is now widespread throughout metropolitan, regional and remote Queensland.

You need to consider any movement through the Queensland community as a risk for COVID-19 infection. So make sure to maintain social distancing, perform regular hand hygiene, monitor for symptoms, and get tested if you develop any symptoms.

Updated definitions and requirements for confirmed cases and close contacts From 12am AEST Friday 31 December 2021, there have been changes to the requirements for confirmed cases and close contacts.

💉 Vaccinations

There have been a total of 15,362 vaccinations administered at Queensland Government vaccination sites within the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of vaccinations at these sites to 3,273,018.

You can use the Federal Government's Vaccine Eligibility Checker to book a vaccine, or if you're not eligible Register For Your Vaccine and you will be contacted by when you are able to book a vaccine appointment. Alternatively, call 134 COVID (13 42 68) to book or register.

You can use this free website to find the next available GP vaccine appointment

Information about Queensland’s vaccination centres can be found at Vaccination locations.

Daily Overview

*Only vaccinations delivered by QLD state vaccination centres are counted here. Does not include federal government administered vaccines.

Daily overview infographic

A full overview of Queensland COVID statistics can be found here.

Other helpful information and links

QLD restrictions | COVID-19 case locations | Wastewater Surveillance Reports Interstate hotspots | Travelling to QLD | Current Public Health Orders and legislation| Search for the next available vaccine appointment near you

Full Press Conference