Queensland Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said in a press conference on Tuesday there were 3,789 calls made for an ambulance on Monday, prompting Telstra to include a message advising people of the high demand. “Telstra initiated a pre-approved recorded voice message advising people that there was a high demand, and that if it was a health issue, and it was not an emergency, that they should ring 13 Health instead,” she said. “I’m being advised this morning that Telstra has never initiated this pre-approved call for the Queensland Ambulance Service in Queensland before. That is the extent of the demand.”The 32 per cent increase in calls was last seen back in January during the state’s first Omicron wave. “I don’t know any hospital system in the country that can prepare for a 30 to 40 per cent increase on a single given day,” she said.The recorded call system was turned off in Queensland at 10pm.Investigations into what caused the unexpected increase are ongoing. The state recorded 7882 new Covid cases and six deaths in the past 24 hour reporting period. There are currently 54,818 active cases across Queensland – 572 people are in hospital, 16 of whom are in intensive care. Ms D’Ath said the state is coming off the second wave of Omicron as child infections plummet by more than half. “What we have seen with Omicron in the second wave is, as we expected, the case numbers are starting to come down in the community, which is great news,” she said. The Minister said the state was waiting until the peak of the latest Covid-19 wave had passed before looking at close contact rules.
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