COVID-19 will continue to place significant pressure on Queensland's health system in 2023 with more waves predicted throughout the year, the state's Chief Health Officer John Gerrard says.
As Queensland's fourth Omicron wave recedes, Dr Gerrard said it was impossible to know whether the virus would eventually become seasonal, like the flu."Our general hope is that these waves will continue to become less severe and hopefully less frequent, and ultimately [the virus] becomes seasonal. This is very much a critical phase of the pandemic."
Switching to green means the mask recommendations have lifted, but they may still be requested in some health care settings and in aged care. He said COVID-19 hospitalisations had dropped to 318 this week across the public and private sectors. The infectious disease physician said the numbers of infections and admissions to hospital with COVID-19 "dwarfs what we see with influenza" and would continue to be an issue for the public health system in 2023.Moving forward, he said the international and Australian strategies regarding COVID-19 vaccination, in terms of further boosters, was yet to be determined."This is a particular problem in older people over the age of 70.
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