Queensland Chief Well being Officer John Gerrard mentioned there’s a view that masks mandates needs to be reimposed throughout Australia, with the surge in circumstances of Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5.
“I can say that nationally, there’s growing stress, there’s a college of thought that we needs to be mandating masks once more,” he advised Brisbane 4BC radio on Friday.
He mentioned he didn’t personally need a return to masks mandates, however he admitted the likelihood was being mentioned.
“It’s one thing that’s nonetheless being mentioned however … we would favor to not go down that highway,”
Federal Labor minister Murray Watt mentioned on Saturday the federal government had not obtained any well being recommendation on masks mandates and people choices tended to be made by state governments.
“I do know that that is one thing that well being officers have been discussing nationally,” he mentioned.
Masks mandates have been relaxed in all states and territories in most settings inside the group.
In the meantime, Australia is experiencing a succession of Omicron variants which have saved an infection charges excessive, Deakin College epidemiology chair Catherine Bennett mentioned.
Nevertheless Australia ranked low in deaths per capita when in comparison with different international locations.
“Whether or not we have a look at the whole COVID-19 deaths per case, or deaths per capita, Australia sits low on the league tables, along with New Zealand, Taiwan and Japan,” Professor Bennett mentioned.
Australia’s every day dying charges per capita have been akin to the UK and Canada, and decrease than France – international locations at present in summer time and reporting declines in case numbers, she mentioned.
“It’s vital that we study extra about those that are ending up in hospital or not surviving their infections, in order that we are able to determine what must be performed to keep away from preventable deaths and convey the case fatality fee down.”
Australia information 9,984 COVID-19 deaths
Australia is on the precipice of the grim milestone of 10,000 COVID-19 associated deaths, with greater than 7,000 deadly circumstances reported within the final six months.
One other 54 deaths have been reported on Saturday, taking the nation’s complete toll to 9,984 for the reason that begin of the pandemic.
There have been 909 COVID-19 associated fatalities in 2020 and 1,344 in 2021.
Griffith College infectious illnesses and immunology program director Nigel McMillan advised AAP there can be round 14,000 COVID-19 deaths in 2022 if the pattern continued.
“That can make COVID the number-two or number-three killer within the nation of all causes of deaths,” he mentioned.
“Is that this what success seems like for Australia by way of its management of this virus? I might recommend no.”
Professor McMillan mentioned booster uptake was not adequate in states comparable to Queensland, which had the bottom fee within the nation at about 63 per cent.
The state with the very best booster uptake is Western Australia, at 83 per cent, with different states and territories falling someplace in between.
“We simply appear to have grow to be snug with the concept that we’re stopping vaccine mandates for all types of locations, now we have loosened our masks restrictions,” he mentioned.
“So now we have little or no in the way in which of the virus in the intervening time by way of (stopping) the virus spreading.”
Newest 24-hour COVID-19 knowledge:
NSW: 11,085 circumstances, 20 deaths, 1621 in hospital with 45 in ICU
Victoria: 6424 circumstances, 13 deaths, 462 in hospital with 18 in ICU
Tasmania: 1144 circumstances, two deaths, 47 in hospital with 5 in ICU
NT: 240 circumstances, no deaths, 17 in hospital with none in ICU
SA: 2642 circumstances, no deaths, 231 in hospital with eight in ICU
WA: 4878 circumstances, three deaths, 218 in hospital with 10 in ICU
Qld: 4976 circumstances, 16 deaths, 602 in hospital with 19 in ICU
ACT: 1329 circumstances, no deaths, 131 in hospital and 4 in ICU