Queensland has recorded 18,000 new COVID-19 cases after online rapid antigen test (RATs) results were included in the daily total for the first time, while Premier Annastacia Palaszcuk announced students will not return to school at the end of the holidays.
Ms Palaszcuk confirmed 4320 of the new cases are from RATs.
This brings active cases to 18,573 and the new cases come from 37,591 test results.
There are 402 people in hospital, including 22 in ICU and five requiring ventilation.
The state yesterday launched its online registry for positive rapid antigen test results.
People who test positive at home can now visit the government’s COVID-19 website and register their positive RAT result.
Yesterday, the state recorded 11,174 new COVID-19 cases, and today’s jump in figures is due to the rapid antigen tests being included.
Health Minister Yvette D’Ath urged anybody who had tested positive with a RAT in the past 14 days to register their result to ensure numbers are as accurate as possible.
In yesterday’s figures, there was one new death reported.
A previously reported death of a man in his 30s at his home in the Gold Coast earlier this month was also confirmed by the coroner to be a COVID-19 case, bringing Queensland’s total number of fatalities during the pandemic to 10.
Return to school delayed for Queensland students
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk confirmed a two-week delay to primary and high school students returning to the classroom.
Ms Palaszczuk said students will now return to class on Monday, February 7.
“It is sensible, it is logical to delay the start of the school year,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“This is a delay, but it is a necessary delay due to the influx of cases that are coming.
“We are expecting the peak at the end of January and start of February.”
Ms Palaszczuk said year 11 and 12 students will commence remote learning from Monday, January 31 and special provision will be made for children of essential workers and teachers identified as close contacts when school returns.
Queensland Education Minister Grace Grace said the decision to delay a return to school was “common sense” due to the spread of Omicron and would allow more children aged five to 11 to get vaccinated now they are eligible.
“We knew the year was going to be disrupted when we start schooling due to staff numbers and breakouts in schools,” Ms Grace said.
“We don’t want to have a situation where parents are told at the last moment they won’t be able to attend a certain school because it is shut down.”
Ms Grace clarified the two weeks will be pupil-free days for teachers, who will be paid as such to prepare for remote learning or their yearly curriculum.
Students who need to attend school will be provided with supervision from a skeleton staff.
How Australia faced the emergence of the Omicron variant
Ms Grace said “there are no guarantees” the school year won’t be pushed back further and remote learning could make a comeback for all ages if Omicron numbers get too large.
Ms D’Ath yesterday announced Queensland’s public hospitals will suspend non-urgent elective surgery until March 1.
She said this will be reviewed at the end of January, and “hopefully” its end date could be brought forward.
Source: 9News
