Palm vax to keep rolling on
TOWNSVILLE University Hospital staff will arrive on Palm Island to administer more vaccines early next week.
Almost 200 people have been tested for the virus after two positive wastewater tests prompted Queensland Health to launch a testing blitz in the Indigenous community off the coast of Townsville.
A Townsville Hospital and Health Service spokeswoman said Queensland Health had fully vaccinated 462 people on the island since the vaccination program started earlier this year.
An additional 846 people have received their first doses of the vaccine on the island.
The exact number of vaccinated people on Palm Island is not known due to the ease of travel to Townsville, where people may have been jabbed also, the spokeswoman said.
Anyone on the island showing symptoms of Covid-19 has been urged to get tested to ensure the safety of the community.
Queensland chief health officer Jeannette Young said the positive wastewater tests could indicate either an undiagnosed case in the community or a person who was no longer infectious shedding fragments of the virus.
Dr Young earlier this week estimated 80 per cent of First Nations people aged 16 or older had received at least one jab, but this percentage is disputed.
Palm Island Mayor Mislam Sam said the rate was likely much lower due to outdated Australian Bureau of Statistics data, which did not accurately represent the population.
There are fears for the welfare of vulnerable Aboriginal communities in parts of the country, with New South Wales reporting critically low vaccination rates.