Suburbs hit by Covid-19
NEW PCR test data from Queensland Health has revealed the Toowoomba suburbs that have seen the biggest number of new Covid infections as the Darling Downs faces a third wave of the pandemic.
Between July 6, 2022 to July 12, Toowoomba West recorded 33 new cases, Highfields 37 cases and Drayton and Harristown 32 positive cases.
Wilsonton saw 25 positive Covid cases, Toowoomba Central 22, Darling Heights 32 and Drayton-Harristown 32 in the same time frame.
The small rural town of Charleville also recorded a surprising 38 cases.
The Darling Downs has been one of the regions hardest hit by the rising number of cases, with the death toll from the pandemic reaching 72 on Friday, and 79 on Sunday.
Across the region a total of 23,568 cases have been recorded, with 60 under the care of the health service.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has urged Queenslanders to start wearing masks again, saying older age groups were most vulnerable to the third wave.
“Sadly people ending up in hospitals tend to be over 65 and those who are dying are over 70,” she said.
“If you’re a young person and you have elderly grandparents, you might want to think about your interaction with those elderly grandparents during this wave.
“We always expected that the peak would be around winter. But what we could see is a further peak in September.”
With a third wave of the pandemic sweeping across the nation, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced he would reverse the original end date for pandemic leave payments for casual workers who get Covid-19 and need to isolate during a snap national cabinet meeting.
Mr Albanese came to the agreement with state and territory leaders on Saturday morning in a meeting originally set for Monday to address the escalating winter Covid-19 surge.
The meeting was pushed forward as a matter of urgency following Mr Albanese’s briefing from the nation’s top health advisers shortly after he returned to the country from Fiji where he attended the Pacific Islands Forum.
Mr Albanese confirmed the $750 leave disaster payment scheme would be reinstated until September 30, with the cost to be split 50-50 between the Commonwealth and states and territories.
The payment cut off had been set by the former Morrison government for June 30 as the nation battled the winter flu season. The Australian Retailers Association, said the reinstatement of the pandemic leave disaster payment will come as a welcome relief for workers who are left out of pocket when forced to isolate.