The Darling Downs Health region of Queensland Health continues to report no new cases of COVID-19, reflecting the state-wide trend of ‘curve flattening’.
The only active cases in the Darling Downs Health region continue to be in Toowoomba. The region has so far reported 42 cases since the start of the pandemic, with at least 25 recovered to date.
The update comes as Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said yesterday there is “no need for Queensland aged care homes to be in lockdown” and “families should be able to visit their loved ones”.
“I am also hearing reports that some aged care facilities are not allowing residents to actually even move out of their room,” the Premier said.
“There is no need for this practice to happen.”
State-wide there remain 280 active COVID-19 cases with 738 recoveries and six deaths for a total of 1024. Yesterday, Wednesday, there were no new cases in Queensland for the second day in a row.
“So well done Queensland, this is just the news that we need, two zero cases this week, and we are really on track to be smashing that curve,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
Latest data at – www.health.qld.gov.au/covid-data
Deputy Premier and Treasurer Jackie Trad yesterday the State Government had introduced $4 billion worth of measures “to support businesses, industry, and the arts sector”.
Ms Trad said the economic relief measures include –
• $1.2 billion to expand fever clinics, emergency department capacity, acute care services and regional aeromedical services for remote communities
• $300 million in cost-of-living relief for households, including a $200 credit for all 2.1 million households to offset the cost of water and electricity
• $2.5 billion for business including payroll tax relief, relief for businesses renting government premises, a worker displacement program to help unemployed people get jobs in sectors facing shortages, electricity bill rebates for all Queensland small and medium sized businesses that consume less than 100,000 kilowatt hours, liquor licensing fee waiver, and assistance to support large businesses to scale up when economic activity improves.
Ms Trad said the Queensland Government is also providing –
• A $500 million Jobs Support Loan facility, interest free for the first 12 months, to support businesses to keep Queenslanders in work, with loans of up to $250,000
• $400 million in land tax relief for property owners, that must be passed on to tenants
• An initial $27.25 million package to assist local government, business and industry with resilience and recovery strategies, targeted financial support and counselling
• A $24.7 million housing and homelessness plan to deliver accommodation for vulnerable Queenslanders needing to self-isolate, funding for homelessness providers, and enhancements to the Home Assist Secure program.
