The Queensland government warns of an escalation in the number of health and hospital staff unable to work due to COVID amid the state’s growing wave of COVID-19.
Ms D’Ath said hospitalizations had risen 140 per cent in the past month, with the healthcare system strained due to the number of sick staff.
He said there were 2,016 workers laid off because of COVID. More than 100 more employees were out of the flu.
Ms D’Ath said the number of people hospitalized with COVID-related illnesses had exceeded the peak of Queensland’s second wave, around April.
This included 599 in public hospitals and 106 in private ones, with 5,878 new cases announced on the last day and four more deaths related to the virus.
“This is the highest number of COVID patients we’ve seen in our private hospitals since the start of the Omicron wave earlier this year, so we’re watching it closely,” Ms. D ’said. Ath.
“We must continue to invest in our public hospitals and build these capacities now and in the future to manage COVID, but also the overall growth in demand across the hospital system.”
Ms D’Ath said the pressure on the hospital system was partly caused by an overloaded healthcare system.
“If people can’t come in to see a GP, then they turn to our public hospital system and that’s why we’re seeing so much demand for our emergency services. [emergency departments] and we are seeing an increase in chronic diseases and more complex cases, ”he said.
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“Overall, we note that about 1,200 beds each day are available for planned care.
“Six hundred of these beds are being occupied right now with COVID. More than 500 of these beds are being occupied with long stays around disability and care for the elderly. These are almost all our planned care beds occupied by two things that are out of our control, “Ms D’Ath said.
Towards a peak of 1,000 hospitalizations
Health Director John Gerrard warned that Queensland’s third wave this year was being driven by Omicron, BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants.
Dr. Gerrard said hospitalizations are likely to be “at least as bad as the first wave of January” and could reach a maximum of about 1,000 concurrent hospitalizations.
“I’m afraid current models indicate that the wave will get worse at least until the end of July,” he said.
“There are some models that suggest they may even last longer.
“People should be thinking now about preparing for this wave, as it will get worse over the next few weeks, because it’s very likely that someone around you will become infected with this virus.”
Dr. Gerrard said the vast majority of people hospitalized were over 65 and “were not up to date with their vaccination.”
While urging people over the age of 65 to wear masks again, Dr. Gerrard reiterated that he was not in favor of a mask warrant at this stage.
“It’s likely that these waves will continue to go out and activate every few months for a while, years could pass,” he said.
“If we continue to implement legal mandates every three months and then withdraw them, I think this only creates division and is not useful and I think people will not follow them.”
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Despite pressure, Dr. Gerrard believed hospitals would cope.
“They will know what to do, but there will be pressure on them, there is no way to avoid that,” he said.
“Emergency services are still working, there are some delays, of course.”
Increased cases of influenza
Although hospitalizations for COVID have not yet reached their peak, Dr. Gerrard said Queensland was probably at the peak of its flu epidemic.
“It’s very early in the year to have a flu peak and the flu number is growing at this stage,” he said.
Ms D’Ath said 40 people had died from the flu since the beginning of the year.
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Posted 1 h ago 1 hour ago Wednesday, July 6, 2022 at 2:41 AM, updated 27 minutes ago 27 minutes ago Wednesday, July 6, 2022 at 3:27 AM