Queenslanders Encouraged To Wear Masks As COVID Spreads Through Schools, Aged Care Facilities And Hospitals

Health officials are calling for Queenslanders to actively respond to the latest raft of Covid warnings as cases continue to escalate.

Although masks aren't mandated in classrooms, health experts advise its one way to slow the spread of both the virus and influenza.

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Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk continues to drive personal responsibility when it comes to donning a mask.

"The best way to slow this wave down is to wear masks," she said on Saturday

"This is to help our hospitals, our doctors, our nurses. It's to help our workforce."

"I'm strongly encouraging, when school goes back on Monday, for children to be wearing masks in schools, as well as teachers, except where you of course can socially distance," she said.

It comes as hospitalisations across the sunshine state are pushing a thousand, while one in three aged care homes are battling outbreaks with calls for more military assistance amid short staffing.

According to the latest Federal health data, almost 180 aged care homes are currently battling active Covid outbreaks across the state.

Aged Community Care Providers Association (ACCPA) interim chief executive Paul Sadler said that positive cases were set to “continue to go up over the next few weeks as community transmission accelerates”.

“Our genuine concern is that the next few weeks could see us return to those levels of 30 per cent of rosters being unfilled across home care and residential care with the consequent impact on the care of older people,” Mr Sadler said

Meanwhile, the pressure on Queensland's health system continues to escalate with around six and seven per cent of health workers currently on sick leave

Health Minister Yvette D'Ath said it is about double the usual average.

"When you look at the beds being taken up with COVID and the reduced staffing, you get an idea of the pressure being faced across our hospital systems," she said on Monday

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