Thursday 7 July 2022 11:21 PM Covid Australia: NSW, Victoria, Queensland, ATAGI health chiefs want MASKS and ... trends now
Mandatory masks and stay at home orders could be back within weeks and some elective surgeries halted as Australia braces for a devastating new Covid wave which is already packing out ICU wards.
The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI), backed by some of the architects of Australia's past lockdowns, is pushing for the return of restrictive laws to stop the new and highly contagious Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants.
Australia is already battling a potentially lethal 'multi-demic' cocktail of respiratory viruses, including the flu, RSV, para-influenza, adenovirus and HMPV, which are spreading like wildfire through a population with immune systems weakened by two years of lockdown restrictions.
The rapid spread of the multi-demic bugs is also being fuelled by cold and damp weather, and comes as more than 4,000 people are hospitalised with Covid and ICU cases surge by 40 per cent across the country.
Several Queensland hospitals have paused all of their elective surgeries as the health system comes under increasing pressure from the influx of cases including the state's largest hospital and health service Metro North Health.
Royal Brisbane Hospital, Prince Charles Hospital, Caboolture Hospital, Redcliffe Hospital, Kilocy Hospital has suspended all elective surgery while Gold Coast HHS has paused non-urgent surgery at its hospitals.
On Thursday, the Federal government signed off on a fourth Covid booster shot for anyone over 30, with those over 50 told to get jabbed urgently.
The move was recommended by ATAGI, but hidden in the small print was a recommendation for further public health measures.
Mandatory masks and working from home could be back within weeks as the nation braces for a devastating new Covid wave which is already packing out intensive care units
The move was recommended by the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, but hidden in the small print was a warning of further measures
'The impact of this expanded vaccine booster recommendation alone is expected to be limited,' the ATAGI statement admitted.
'ATAGI advises other public health and social measures, in addition to vaccination, will have the greatest impact against the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 surge in infections.
'This includes increased use of masks.'
Victoria has already flagged the return of Covid restrictions after Premier Dan Andrews extended the state's pandemic declaration for another three months.
'There continues to be a serious risk to public health which requires continued public health measures to reduce the risk of transmission and hospitalisation,' he warned as he confirmed the extension.
Victoria has already flagged the return of Covid restrictions after Premier Dan Andrews extended the state's pandemic declaration for another three months
The move was slammed by Victorian Liberals leader Matthew Guy who blasted the premier's 'lust for power and control'.
Mr Guy added: 'It's time to end the state of emergency.
'It's time to end mandates outside of health and aged care sector. Victorians deserve to have control of their lives handed back.
'The threat of mandates, lockdowns and restrictions remain, which overshadows efforts for us to recover...but they play second to a premier with a lust for power and control.'
New Victorian health minister Mary-Anne Thomas admitted the decision on the return of masks and working from home was imminent.
'The pandemic declaration allows me to make that decision and I haven't yet made it,' she said on Thursday.
'The public health team are looking at modelling and they're consulting with their colleagues and various ideas are floated but no decisions have been taken.'
New Victorian health minister Mary-Anne Thomas admitted the decision on the return of masks and working from home was imminent
Queensland's health chief John Gerrard revealed the return of mask mandates was already under discussion among state health chiefs.
'I can say that nationally, there is increasing pressure, there is a school of thought that we should be mandating masks again,' he told 4BC radio on Saturday.
'We are continually reviewing all aspects of our pandemic response including the potential need for mask mandates in different settings.'
The virulent new strains have the highest rate of transmission of any of the major mutant variations since the disease first spread worldwide in 2020.
BA.4 and BA.5 have a basic reproduction number (R0) rate of 18.6, meaning, without any restrictions, every infected patient would likely infect 18 or 19 people.
That compares to the original 2020 Wuhan Covid strain's R0 of 3.3, Delta's 5.1 and the Omicron BA.1 strain's 9.5, which sparked the widespread outbreak that has smashed Australia since January, killing 7000 in seven months.
The latest subvariants are also feared to have evolved to be much more resistant to existing vaccines and acquired immunity from previous infections.
Now health chiefs are delivering grim warnings about the BA.4 and BA.5 wave about to sweep through families across the country.
On Thursday, there were 3,921 people with Covid in hospitals across the country, less than the 5,000-plus peak around Australia Day, but up 24 per cent since mid-May.
Federal health minister Mark Butler has warned of the devastating Covid wave about to hit Australia as he signed off a fourth Covid jab for anyone over 30