No ruling out mask mandates again in q2

Queensland's health minister Yvette D'Ath has not ruled out the introduction of mask mandates because of an increase in COVID 19 cases as the third wave makes its way through the state.

Ms D'Ath said there was no recommendation at the Australian Health Protection Principal CommitteeHealth Protection Principal Committee AHPPC to reintroduce mandatory masks, but Queensland Health would follow any future advice from the Chief Health Officer CHO We do remind people as we go through this third wave that they can make those decisions for themselves, and that is what Ms D'Ath said.

I know that almost everyone has a mask with them, whether or not it's in your car or handbag.

By all means, if people feel like they're in a situation where they can't socially distance themselves, and they are particularly vulnerable, wear a mask. Queensland had 3,971 new COVID 19 cases and 32,061 active cases in the past 24 hours, with no deaths.

There were 630 people in the hospital, with 18 in intensive care.

Ms D'Ath said it was important that people remember that COVID-19 was still having an impact on communities.

She said that this wave that we're in, a third wave, could end up peaking higher than we saw the second wave and we are not at that peak yet.

Our health workers would prefer not to be caring for people who are seriously unwell from COVID who are in the ICU and are passing away every week.

We have had over 1,500 staff furloughed again, and we ask for everyone's patience as our hospitals and health staff do their best to look after everyone in these very difficult times.

We can do something to help our health workers who are daily dealing with COVID deaths and encourage their loved ones to get vaccinated.

We are going to have waves. We don't know when the end is going to be.

We're going to be living with COVID for a very long time in society, so we need to move to more business as usual and that means people taking their own responsibility. On Saturday, Queensland CHO John Gerrard told 4 BC radio that mask mandates were being discussed with his counterparts from other states.

He said that there is increasing pressure nationally, there is a school of thought that we should be mandating masks again.

Gerrard told the ABC on Saturday that they are constantly reviewing all aspects of the pandemic response, including the potential need for mask mandates in different settings. At this stage, no changes are being made, he said.