COVID DRIVER ‘VERY SICK’
THE Gold Coast rideshare driver who was infectious in the city for up to 10 days, failed to use the Check-in Qld app and is being investigated for illegally crossing the border, is so ill he is expected to be put into an intensive care unit (ICU).
Queensland chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young said on Friday she was “sorry to report” Duran Raman, 36, had been “very unwell”.
“They (Gold Coast University Hospital medicos) are keeping a very close eye on him,” she said.
“He is on high-flow oxygen and he will probably need to go into intensive care.
“That is terrible. He is a very young, fit man who was not vaccinated and he is now extremely sick.”
Dr Young used Mr Raman’s poor health as a reminder for Queenslanders to get jabbed as soon as possible.
“The best thing we can all do to protect ourselves is to get vaccinated so we don’t end up in that situation,” she said.
“He was so sick that he probably has not been out in the community so we don’t have exposure venues for him other than his place of residence.”
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said: “They can’t get further information because he (Mr Raman) is so sick.
“Authorities are trying to get information and when he is well enough they will. It is a wait and see,” she said.
Ms Palaszczuk announced five new overseas acquired coronavirus cases were detected in hotel quarantine.
She said 73.6 per cent of eligible Queenslanders had one dose and 58.72 per cent were fully vaccinated. Across the Gold Coast, as of October 18, 71.4 per cent had had one dose and 54.9 per cent were fully vaxxed.
Gold Coast Health’s executive director of medical services Dr Jeremy Wellwood said the Gold Coast vaccination rate “is not enough”.
“We are seeing lower numbers of people coming out for
WE ARE SEEING LOWER NUMBERS OF PEOPLE COMING OUT FOR THEIR FIRST DOSE EVERY DAY AND THIS IS A CONCERN FOR US
GOLD COAST HEALTH EXECUTIVE DR JEREMY WELLWOOD
their first dose every day and this is a concern for us,” he said.
“We have been busily preparing wards, intensive cares, ventilators so we’ve got all that ready. We know what Covid pneumonia looks like, we’ve seen it, the bottom line is that people on the Gold Coast will die of Covid pneumonia and it is preventable.”
He said 50,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine were delivered to the Broadbeach mass vaccination centre, but the waiting room was empty.
“Covid is here, it’s on the Gold Coast,” he said.
“The Covid-19 wave is a freight train that is coming right here to the Gold Coast. If you are unvaccinated you are standing on those tracks. But you have a way to protect yourself. You have a way to get out of harm’s way and that is with vaccination. And it’s so easy to get vaccinated on the Gold Coast now.
“The opportunities are endless, whether it be at one of our community hubs, at the hundreds of general practitioners or pharmacies, or Bunnings pop-up or drive-through clinics.
“This weekend we have 10 high schools where you’ll be able to go right on your doorstep in your suburb to get vaccinated. Vaccination is easy. You just need to make the decision to be vaccinated.”
Dr Young also urged the city’s First Nation peoples and those from multicultural backgrounds to get vaccinated and said health authorities were working closely with community leaders to make this happen.
Acting Gold Coast Mayor Donna Gates urged every resident yet to have their Covid vaccination to make it a priority this weekend.
“We have super vaccination hubs open, schools open and even some Bunnings locations are acting as vaccination centres,’’ she said.
“There is really no excuse. The same applies for youth planning on attending Schoolies. Get the jab.’’