State's daunting Covid case prediction: 'MORE THAN A MILLION'
Queensland could have had over a million Covid cases since opening its borders, according to the Chief Health Officer Dr John Gerrard.
It's a staggering prediction that's at least four times the amount of reported cases.
The admission comes as the first quarantine-free international flights arrived in Brisbane on Saturday, after almost two years of border closures.
“In Queensland, since opening the domestic borders, we have confirmed cases of Covid numbering about a quarter of a million,” Dr Gerrard reporters on Saturday.
“The real number is substantially greater than that.
“It’s a very large number – it’s almost certainly greater than a million.
“We don’t know the true number, because not everybody’s getting tested, either because their symptoms are mild, they don’t recognise the symptoms, they don’t seek to be tested or they can’t get access to a test.”
Dr Gerrard said case numbers could peak in Queensland over the next few days.
"The modelling used for Queensland is very similar to the modelling used for New South Wales," he said.
"It could be as early as the next few days...when the pandemic will peak on the Gold Coast, and then metropolitan Brisbane is likely to follow," he said.
15, 050 new Covid infections
It comes as the state recorded 15,050 new Covid infections and 10 deaths in the past 24 hours.
Of those who died women in 40s, a person in 50s, six in their 80s and two in their 90s.
One of them was unvaccinated, six had two shots and three had boosters.
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Dr Gerrard said ICU numbers had dropped marginally from 54 to 52, and signs that the virus wave had peaked over the border in NSW were positive for the state.
He remains confident Queensland's peak will come about two weeks after NSW, and said areas including the Gold Coast and Brisbane would be among the earliest.
with AAP
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