Health Minister Yvette D’Ath

January 17, 2022

Seven more deaths from COVID-19 – the highest one day total so far during the pandemic in Queensland – were announced by Health Minister Yvette D’Ath on Monday.

This takes the death toll since the pandemic began to 36; 29 of these deaths have occurred since the borders were re-opened on December 13.

Minister D’Ath said the latest seven deaths highlighted the urgency for elderly people to receive their booster shot.

Two of the people who died were in their 80s and five were in their 90s; two were not vaccinated. Five were vaccinated but none had received a booster.

There are currently 702 people being treated for COVID-19 in Queensland hospitals, including 47 in ICU. Fifteen patients are on ventilators.

New cases on Monday totalled 15,122 across Queensland, down from the 17,445 announced on Sunday.

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More positive cases have also been recorded in the South Burnett, Cherbourg and Gympie LGAs over the past two days (see below) with Queensland Health officials telling Cherbourg Council that potential clusters were developing around Moffatdale, Goomeri and Murgon.

Due to the COVID situation, the Australia Day local awards ceremony that was to be held at the Queensland Dairy Museum in Murgon on January 26 has been cancelled.

Proston Scouts have made a small change to their Australia Day celebrations, cancelling the traditional cricket match.

A small awards ceremony and damper will be held at the Scouts Den from 2:30pm to 3:30pm on January 26.

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A reminder that walk-in vaccinations are available this week at Murgon Town Hall:

  • Tuesday (January 18) – 1:00pm-4:30pm
  • Wednesday (January 19) – 8:00am-5:30pm
  • Thursday (January 20) – 8:00am-1:00pm

The Pfizer-only clinics will provide first, second and booster doses to everyone over the age of five years.

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southburnett.com.au has been keeping track of some basic statistics for local Council areas since the re-opening of the State border on December 13.

These statistics, from Queensland Health, show the total number of confirmed positive cases per Local Government Area since the pandemic began in January 2020.

They are NOT the total of current ACTIVE cases but demonstrate how the virus has spread quickly throughout the local community.

We have taken snapshots on Dec 13, Dec 21 and daily since December 29.

These figures are current to 7:00pm on Sunday (Jan 16):

  • South Burnett: 3 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 18 / 21 / 25 / 39 / 52 / 83 / 135 / 188 / 213 / 239 / 250 / 255 / 273 / 289 / 296 / 338 / 346 / 349
  • * Cherbourg:  – / – / – / 3 / 12 / 21 / 30 / 51 / 61 / 71 / 74 / 89 / 96 / 96 / 97 / 97 / 100 / 100 / 104 / 104 / 104 / 104
  • Toowoomba: 52 / 56 / 233 / 312 / 368 / 396 / 463 / 579 / 665 / 751 / 841 / 940 / 1141 / 1315 / 1405 / 1565 / 1870 / 1971 / 2119 / 2252 / 2446 / 2539
  • Gympie: 7 / 6 / 23 / 26 / 38 / 43 / 48 / 68 / 82 / 104 / 144 / 169 / 222 / 243 / 270 / 304 / 355 / 393 / 425 / 478 / 526 /563
  • North Burnett: 3 / 3 / 5 / 5 / 8 / 9 / 13 / 13 / 14 / 14 / 17 / 21 / 23 / 27 / 29 / 31 / 31 / 44 / 50 / 54 / 57 / 66
  • Somerset: 6 / 6 / 14 / 15 / 15 / 20 / 28 / 34 / 38 / 48 / 64 / 104 / 127 / 160 / 178 / 201 / 231 / 282 / 329 / 369 / 397 / 417
  • Western Downs: 3 / 3 / 16 / 18 / 23 / 30 / 36 / 48 / 52 / 60 / 89 / 114 / 140 / 203 / 216 / 248 / 301 / 357 / 401 / 412 / 435 / 457

NB. Data is reported by Queensland Health daily but can vary over time due to case reviews. When we took the first snapshots, Cherbourg LGA had not been added to the list by Qld Health as no cases had been recorded there. From December 31, data is current to 7:00pm the previous day.

* Cherbourg’s official Queensland Health figures have not been updated since 7:00pm on January 13. However, Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council’s update on Monday morning stated there have been 10 new cases in the community since Sunday; 40-plus active cases and 143 people now considered recovered. This would take Cherbourg’s total since the Omicron wave began to about 183. 

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