Queensland has recorded nine new COVID-19 deaths, including a teenager, with 16,812 new cases in the latest reporting period.
There are 850 people in hospital being treated for the virus, including 48 in an intensive care unit.
Twenty people are on ventilators.
Chief Health Officer John Gerrard said an 18-year-old was among those who died in the latest reporting period.
He said the person had significant underlying medical problems.
A person in their 70s also died, as well as five in their 80s, one in their 90s and one over 100.
Three were unvaccinated, five had received two doses and just one had a booster shot.
Deputy Premier Steven Miles has announced details of how the state government's multi-million-dollar quarantine facility at Wellcamp near Toowoomba will be used when it first opens to guests.
Mr Miles said 500 beds would become available by February, and would be operated as two pods.
Aspen medical will manage health services at the site, and it would be overseen by Queensland Health.
The first pod will be used for unvaccinated travellers who still need to quarantine, while the second will be for Queenslanders directed into isolation because their accommodation is not suitable.
"That will allow us to downscale the number of hotels that we need," Mr Miles said.
Deputy Premier, businessman say project is 'value for money'
The state government has refused to release the costs of building and operating the facility.
Toowoomba business John Wagner, whose company is building facility, said he believed taxpayers were getting value for money.
"Some of these Opposition politicians need to not get focused on how much it cost and who got what out of [it].
"They should focus on how we can turn it into something that's really good for Toowoomba and regional Queensland."
Mr Miles said the Wellcamp facility was "incredible value for money", even though vaccinated international travellers no longer needing to quarantine from Saturday.
He said the government had a lease for the facility for 12 months, with an option to extend.
"We expect quarantine and isolation to continue to be amongst the public health tools that allow us to manage this pandemic," he said.
"They have been for the last two years, and we expect that to continue."
Boosters could become available sooner
Health authorities still expect the current wave of cases to peak at the end of the month and it is expected the Gold Coast will peak first, Health Minister Yvette D'Ath said.
She said testing clinics on the Gold Coast were reporting that 70 per cent of people coming forward to get tested were returning positive results.
The state government is considering moving the timeline for people to receive their booster shots forward.
From January 31, people will only have to wait three months from their second dose to receive a booster shot as per Commonwealth guidelines, but Ms D'Ath said she would like to see that happen sooner.
"A number of states have already moved on this," she said.
"I want to make sure that the pharmacies and the GPs would be ready for that if we did do that."
Ms D'Ath said 40 per cent of people who are eligible for a booster shot still have not received a third dose.
"Irrespective of when we change the three-month threshold, please if you're already at that four-month mark, come forward and get your booster straight away," she said.
Hopes rapid COVID tests available by winter
Today's media conference was held at Brisbane business AnteoTech, which manufactures rapid antigen tests (RAT).
The company is in talks with the federal government and Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), seeking approval to start manufacturing the tests in Brisbane for direct supply to Queenslanders.
Their tests are currently being made in Spain and are approved for use in Europe and the United Kingdom.
AnteoTech chief executive Derek Thomson said they had been working for TGA approval since September.
"We're supplying them with more information and believe we are in the final stages of our process," he said.
"We would have liked to have got it quicker but I understand that they have a responsibility.
"We could supply millions now.
"It's a good volume, it would certainly make a dent in the Queensland need at the moment."
He said he had spoken to the federal government nearly two years ago about manufacturing and selling the tests on home soil.
"Generally, across the board, we didn't get a huge amount of traction at the time, nor did any other manufacturers," he said.
Mr Miles said it was urgent to get more rapid antigen tests approved and available in Australia.
"If we can have them made here, then we avoid all of the input and competition issues associated with trying to get a product that is in demand right around right around the world," he said.
