New data released by the Australian state of Queensland on Wednesday showed an increase in COVID-19 cases among school-age children.
There were 1,905 cases reported among Queensland’s children aged between five years and 17 years on Wednesday, up from the previous day’s 1,587.
Queensland’s Chief Health Officer John Gerrard admitted there has been “a bump in cases in children’’ since schools reopened on Feb. 7.
He said that more worrisome was infection risk children might bring back home.
“We have not seen increases in hospitalisation among children.
“To me, the bigger concern when children get infected is the risk to their parents and grandparents, that is why it is critical that anyone coming in contact with children get booster,’’ he said.
The total number of the state’s new COVID-19 cases as at Wednesday was 6,596, a jump from 5,286 on Tuesday.
More than 62 per cent of the state’s eligible population have taken the booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine, while around 90 per cent have received two doses.
Meanwhile, the government of Victoria State has announced that more elective surgeries can resume in local hospitals as the wave of infections with the Omicron variant of COVID-19 continues to subside in the state.
Victoria reported 8,149 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, compared to 8,162 on Tuesday.
The number of hospitalisation also went down from Tuesday’s 441 to 397. (Xinhua/NAN)
