April 4, 2022
Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington joined with other Opposition MPs last week to vote against the extension of the Chief Health Officer’s emergency powers until October 31.
Mrs Frecklington said the ALP guillotined the debate on the “Public Health and Other Legislation (Extension of Expiring Provisions) Amendment Bill 2022” but she was able to make a short statement during the Adjournment debate.
She thanked the health care workers who have been at the frontline during the COVID-19 pandemic, and acknowledged the affect the pandemic has had on many people.
“There are those who have lost loved ones, those who are struggling with the effects of long-COVID and those who have had less serious symptoms and recovered quickly,” Mrs Frecklington said.
“But COVID has also affected more than just our physical health.
“It has affected businesses, our children’s education, our ability to see our loved ones in aged care, mental health and so much more.
“Significantly, it has also taken away people’s livelihoods and caused significant disruption and upheaval to all our lives.
“In relation to the extension of these emergency powers however, people are telling me that enough is enough.
“Queenslanders have demonstrated an extraordinary level of trust in government – giving up their basic rights and freedoms to control the spread of COVID-19.
“However, the LNP Opposition believes that in a democracy such as ours, these types of powers should not be in place any longer than necessary.
“We now have more than 90 per cent of our State’s adult population double vaccinated.
“The Labor Government said they would review restrictions when we reached 90 per cent but instead we have a government that just sits on its hands.
“These are extraordinary times, but we must question why the Labor Government continues to need this extraordinary power when there is little to no oversight.”
Earlier in the week, Health Minister Yvette D’Ath told the media the emergency powers were critical for a swift response towards any health issues that might arise during the pandemic.
“It is clear we are on the cusp of a second wave,” she said.
“There may be a point in the future where restrictions are not required at all. But we are not there yet,” she said.
“It would be reckless to withdraw all the measures on one occasion as soon as we entered this wave.”
* * *
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 recently 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 (April 3):
- South Burnett: 3 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 18 / 21 / 25 / 39 / 52 / 83 / 135 / 188 / 213 / 239 / 250 / 255 / 273 / 289 / 296 / 338 / 346 / 349 / 389 / 400 / 450 / 450 / 463 / 480 / 500 / 511 / 531 / 556 / 560 / 604 / 625 / 640 / 651 / 661 / 695 / 706 / 714 / 720 / 729 / 733 / 738 / 745 / 761 / 765 / 775 / 776 / 780 / 790 / 803 / 819 / 823 / 828 / 838 / 841 / 848 / 852 / 853 / 858 / 858 / 858 / 859 / 863 / 873 / 873 / 878 / 878 / 882 / 885 / 885 / 889 / 894 / 895 / 895 / 895 / 897 / 900 / 902 / 905 / 908 / 909 / 910 / 911 / 913 / 915 / 923 / 928 / 933 / 936 / 940 / 942 / 952 / 972 / 978 / 979 / 983
- * Cherbourg: – / – / – / 3 / 12 / 21 / 30 / 51 / 61 / 71 / 74 / 89 / 96 / 96 / 97 / 97 / 100 / 100 / 104 / 104 / 104 / 104 / 104 / 105 / 106 / 106 / 106 / 106 / 106 / 110 / 127 / 127 / 128 / 133 / 133 / 133 / 145 / 145 / 164 / 167 / 167 / 167 / 167 / 170 / 170 / 177 / 182 / 185 / 185 / 185 / 188 / 188 / 188 / 188 / 192 / 192 / 192 / 194 / 200 / 203 / 203 / 205 / 205 / 205 / 205 / 205 / 205 / 206 / 206 / 206 / 206 / 206 / 206 / 206 / 206 / 206 / 207 / 207 / 207 / 208 / 208 / 209 / 209 / 209 / 208 / 208 / 213 / 213 / 213 / 214 / 214 / 214 / 214 / 214 / 217 / 220 / 221 / 221 / 221
- Toowoomba: 52 / 56 / 233 / 312 / 368 / 396 / 463 / 579 / 665 / 751 / 841 / 940 / 1141 / 1315 / 1405 / 1565 / 1870 / 1971 / 2119 / 2252 / 2446 / 2539 / 2733 / 2922 / 3247 / 3247 / 3361 / 3437 / 3505 / 3608 / 3665 / 3773 / 3846 / 3953 / 4008 / 4054 / 4109 / 4208 / 4292 / 4361 / 4428 / 4459 / 4487 / 4506 / 4560 / 4600 / 4630 / 4641 / 4695 / 4706 / 4720 / 4765 / 4784 / 4882 / 4958 / 4983 / 5003 / 5042 / 5067 / 5092 / 5128 / 5145 / 5153 / 5166 / 5167 / 5209 / 5258 / 5268 / 5302 / 5324 / 5341 / 5358 / 5395 / 5430 / 5454 / 5469 / 5498 / 5510 / 5533 / 5566 / 5620 / 5657 / 5692 / 5707 / 5719 / 5737 / 5808 / 5864 / 5929 / 5966 / 6006 / 6050 / 6135 / 6226 / 6293 / 6371 / 6428 / 6485 / 6537
- Gympie: 7 / 6 / 23 / 26 / 38 / 43 / 48 / 68 / 82 / 104 / 144 / 169 / 222 / 243 / 270 / 304 / 355 / 393 / 425 / 478 / 526 /563 / 633 /685 / 786 / 786 / 851 / 887 / 923 / 941 / 988 /1016 / 1033 / 1076 / 1111 / 1123 / 1147 / 1189 / 1232 / 1259 / 1285 / 1307 / 1310 / 1325 / 1360 / 1387 / 1414 / 1427 / 1479 / 1480 / 1494 / 1548 / 1573 / 1613 / 1642 / 1655 / 1669 / 1685 / 1716 / 1739 / 1755 / 1768 / 1771 / 1771 / 1776 / 1776 / 1804 / 1816 / 1821 / 1826 / 1831 / 1833 / 1838 / 1846 / 1852 / 1854 / 1855 / 1856 / 1868 / 1888 / 1895 / 1907 / 1920 / 1932 / 1943 / 1968 / 1999 / 2016 / 2035 / 2045 / 2054 / 2063 / 2100 / 2117 / 2147 / 2167 / 2189 / 2206
- North Burnett: 3 / 3 / 5 / 5 / 8 / 9 / 13 / 13 / 14 / 14 / 17 / 21 / 23 / 27 / 29 / 31 / 31 / 44 / 50 / 54 / 57 / 66 / 77 / 85 / 95 / 95 / 99 / 107 / 112 / 150 / 150 / 155 / 181 / 184 / 190 / 191 / 192 / 193 / 194 / 194 / 199 / 202 / 206 / 206 / 211 / 212 / 213 / 215 / 216 / 217 / 221 / 223 / 224 / 225 / 226 / 229 / 229 / 231 / 231 / 231 / 231 / 231 / 233 / 234 / 236 / 237 / 238 / 240 / 240 / 244 / 247 / 248 / 251 / 253 / 255 / 260 / 263 / 265 / 270 / 273 / 278 / 279 / 287 / 290 / 295 / 296 / 300 / 301 / 302 / 305 / 307 / 308 / 309 / 314 / 315
- Somerset: 6 / 6 / 14 / 15 / 15 / 20 / 28 / 34 / 38 / 48 / 64 / 104 / 127 / 160 / 178 / 201 / 231 / 282 / 329 / 369 / 397 / 417 / 451 / 508 / 558 / 558 / 597 / 628 / 644 / 665 / 701 / 734 / 752 / 773 / 798 / 811 / 825 / 850 / 865 / 881 / 912 / 918 / 929 / 942 / 946 / 950 / 953 / 965 / 971 / 973 / 984 / 987 / 994 / 1004 / 1010 / 1014 / 1019 / 1021 / 1026 / 1029 / 1038 / 1042 / 1042 / 1042 / 1043 / 1043 / 1044 / 1045 / 1045 / 1046 / 1046 / 1046 / 1049 / 1049 / 1050 / 1055 / 1057 / 1058 / 1059 / 1065 / 1072 / 1081 / 1085 / 1088 / 1095 / 1100 / 1105 / 1108 / 1114 / 1118 / 1121 / 1133 / 1143 / 1149 / 1163 / 1168 / 1179 / 1181
- Western Downs: 3 / 3 / 16 / 18 / 23 / 30 / 36 / 48 / 52 / 60 / 89 / 114 / 140 / 203 / 216 / 248 / 301 / 357 / 401 / 412 / 435 / 457 / 464 / 504 / 568 / 568 / 596 / 632 / 639 / 655 / 676 / 695 / 706 / 725 / 735 / 750 / 758 / 770 / 784 / 795 / 815 / 815 / 822 / 826 / 828 / 831 / 832 / 839 / 839 / 839 / 843 / 848 / 849 / 855 / 857 / 860 / 864 / 868 / 877 / 880 / 884 / 886 / 887 / 888 / 894 / 895 / 899 / 904 / 904 / 907 / 910 / 918 / 933 / 939 / 946 / 954 / 956 / 963 / 968 / 978 / 983 / 991 / 994 / 995 / 998 / 1001 / 1004 / 1011 / 1018 / 1022 / 2026 / 2028 / 1035 / 1044 / 1046 / 1054 / 1057 / 1059
* On April 4, Cherbourg Council reported there were eight active cases in the community, taking the tally since the pandemic began to 237
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. Numbers for all regions must also be considered underestimated. Not everyone who has tested positive using a Rapid Antigen Test has reported their result to Queensland Health. Not everyone who has had a mild dose of the disease has been tested. Also, the official statistics show 383,698 positive results (as at April 3) which have not been allocated to a Local Government Area.
[UPDATED]
