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An infectious diseases expert has said has said although COVID-19 cases are continuing to rise in Queensland, this did not mean the state was just "letting it rip".
Case numbers are hitting record numbers each day, with 5699 clocked yesterday, and tens of thousands of Queenslanders are seeking test results across the state.
A queue is already snaking back four kilometres in Ashgrove, spilling out on Waterworks Road, as some private clinics remain closed despite huge demand.
But Dr Paul Griffin, from the University of Queensland, said there are still measures residents can take to stem the spread of the virus.
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"Just because we are hearing those high numbers it shouldn't be an indication that we have given up or people should stop doing the right thing," Dr Paul Griffin told Today.
"If we get the vaccines right, get people boosted, still focus on masks and social distancing, rely less on testing but ensure positives of people who have symptoms, even if they can't get a test, stay at home away from others so they can't transmit, maybe we won't see the lofty heights that have being predicted at the moment."
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He said there shouldn't be a need for a lockdown or more widespread restrictions to return.
"We have the tools to flatten the curve or reduce the numbers, and focus on boosters," he said.
"Obviously the more upstream we address this virus the better we will be, and getting people boosted is the way to do that."
Testing mix-up sparks calls for re-opening
There are calls for privately-run COVID-19 testing clinics to re-open in Queensland after people queued for hours only to be turned away.
Despite the Queensland Health website advising that private clinics would re-open yesterday, multiple centres across the state did not.
In some cases, drivers waited about 10 hours in line before being told the centre would not be opening.
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Health Minister Yvette D'Ath said yesterday some would re-open on January 9, and that the government was seeking clarification on others.
Private labs are blaming a shortage of staff, with many forced into isolation due to COVID-19.
Queenslanders on the whole are being urged to avoid getting a PCR test unless they are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.
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Chief Health Officer Dr John Gerrard even said yesterday that people suffering symptoms who were unable to "easily" get tested, should assume they have COVID-19 and isolate at home.
But they should seek medical help if they suffer severe symptoms such as breathlessness, chest pains, severe light-headedness or fainting.
Case numbers are expected to rise regardless, with 23 per cent of COVID-19 tests returning a positive result in the state yesterday.
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A hundred thousand COVID-19 cases or more could be recorded in Queensland during January, Dr Gerrard said.
He said yesterday case numbers were expected to rise substantially in coming weeks, after the state recorded 5699 cases.
Source: 9News
