Queensland's Health Minister says she is "very concerned" about the number of aged care residents who have not received a COVID-19 booster shot, after eight more aged care residents died from the disease.
It brings the number of COVID deaths in aged care since the current Omicron wave began in December to 107.
The state surpassed 200 total COVID-19 deaths, with a total of 10 people dying in the latest reporting period.
There were 7,588 new cases with 868 people receiving treatment in hospital in both public and private hospitals. Fifty-four people are in intensive care and 23 of those are ventilated.
There are 801 people being treated in the public system, up from 744 yesterday, but Chief Health Officer John Gerrard said he was not concerned about the increase.
"I think it's part of the cyclical phenomenon that occurs in hospitals," he said.
"We need to be looking at the seven-day period and it will be more telling what we see towards the end of the week in terms of whether we're continuing to see the downward trend."
He said eight of the 10 deaths were in aged care facilities, with none of them having received a booster shot.
'Very concerned with what I'm hearing in aged care'
Health Minister Yvette D'Ath said she was very concerned about the number of aged care deaths.
"Of the 107 deaths we've had in aged care residents since the start of pandemic, only 10 of these people have been boosted, and I'm concerned that 20 were not vaccinated at all," Ms D'Ath said.
"That's why we've been saying all along that the priority for boosters should be in aged care residents.
She said she did not know how many facilities in the state had been visited for boosters.
"The Commonwealth reports that currently 100 per cent of all facilities have been visited for vaccinations, but we don't know how many have been visited for boosters and most importantly, how many residents overall have received their booster," she said.
"I'm hearing from people who say they're begging managers of aged care facilities to bring people in to vaccinate their loved ones for boosters."
Ms D'Ath said there was no specific data being released by the federal government on the distribution of boosters in aged care homes but only three quarters of aged care residents have had their third shot.
"Is that a consent issue? Are they not telling families? Are they not planning ahead so that families can ensure consent?" she said.
"That's not good enough to leave potentially a quarter of all residents vulnerable and at risk and these numbers speak for themselves."
Ms D'Ath said she has raised the issue with health ministers around the country and had sent a letter to federal health minister Greg Hunt.
Federal health department hits back at D'Ath
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Minister for Health and Aged Care hit back saying it "categorically rejected" Ms D'Ath's comments.
The Federal Department of Health said it had delivered more than 100 million units of PPE to aged care since the start of the pandemic, including more than 30 million units in 2022.
"The Commonwealth has an arrangement in all states and territories where PPE may be distributed from a state warehouse to an aged care facility with an emerging need and restocked by the Commonwealth," it said.
"It is concerning that the Queensland minister is not aware of this."
It said rapid antigen tests had been used in aged care since August last year, with more than 7.6 million delivered and continuous deliveries underway to outbreak sites.
It said this was in addition to nearly 1.5 million PCR tests that have been conducted through the dedicated aged care facility testing program.
"From the National Medical Stockpile, 35.4 million masks, 14.1 million gowns, 36.2 million gloves, 11.5 million goggles and face shields, 7.6 million RATs and 130,000 bottles of hand sanitiser have been provided to aged care facilities," it said.
It said additional staff and capacity will be made available for aged care under the National Private Hospital Agreement.
"The agreement is fully paid for by the Commonwealth government and for the Queensland minister to deny this care is a disgrace."
The spokesperson said 99 per cent of facilities across the country have received a booster clinic with remaining facilities to be completed this week.
"This is ahead of the original schedule. Residents have also had access to GPs and pharmacies to be boosted," it said.
"We strongly encourage family members to support the booster program and ensure they have provided consent to enable the highest possible uptake.
"The claims today are another attempt from the Queensland government to shift the blame onto anyone but themselves as they continue to play politics with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr Gerrard said booster shots were especially important for Queenslanders over the age of 50.
"We know that these boosters are critical in protecting us from the more severe complications of COVID-19, particularly those people who are older," he said.
"I think sometimes people don't appreciate that age in and of itself is a risk factor for severe COVID-19, even if you are otherwise healthy.
"It has something to do with the way our immune system changes as we pass the age of 40."
Ms D'Ath said the Commonwealth has requested assistance from the state government to find staff and private hospital beds for aged care residents "where the need arises".
"This should be their responsibility, but they keep asking us to use our resources to do this work for them," she said.
"Also in the last seven days there has been 26 separate requests for emergency assistance to Queensland Health from the Commonwealth to supply residential aged care facilities with PPE and rapid antigen tests.
"We have provided 788,000 pieces of PPE since the start of 2022."
She said although the Commonwealth would eventually reimburse the state government, the stock being diverted to aged care facilities was "taking away from our hospital and health services, even though they've got a national medical stockpile".
"I am very concerned with what I'm hearing in aged care," she said.
"I'm hearing of residents being locked behind doors for days on end and worried about adequate food and staff to provide healthy meals to residents."
No increase expected in child hospitalisations
Dr Gerrard said south-east Queensland has likely passed the peak of the Omicron wave but the state would find out later this week if the number of cases and deaths were trending downward.
"I think we will see as the week progresses definitely whether these [numbers are] continuing to fall," he said.
The Chief Health Officer said cases were growing in regional Queensland with Townsville and Toowoomba reporting higher case numbers than usual.
"Over the next week, that's when we still expect the numbers overall to decline in aggregate across Queensland," he said.
Dr Gerrard said he was not expecting an increase in children being hospitalised when face-to-face learning resumes next week.
"The bigger risk to the healthcare system from the schools opening is the parents and the grandparents that are being infected from a child," he said.
"So it is critically important that the parents get in, get vaccinated and the grandparents get that booster."
