Zero virus cases as Qld strives for ‘massive stockpile’ of PPE equipment
Queensland will build a "massive stockpile" of personal protection equipment. Photo: Getty
Queensland recorded another day of zero new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, leaving eight cases active across the state.
It has been 19 days since Queensland last recorded a case that posed a risk of community transmission.
Health Minister Steven Miles said having no new cases registered was “exactly what we hope to see”.
“Of course, we would continue to encourage anyone with any symptoms to go and get tested,” Mr Miles said.
Speaking in Rockhampton, he announced central Queensland would soon be home to a new distribution hub to house essential supplies and equipment for hospitals.
“It is a part of our critical supplies stockpile,” he said.
“We want to make sure that we have a massive stockpile of all of the equipment that we need right throughout the state and the logistics that will ensure we can distribute that stock into our health services as we need them.”
A new 2175-square-metre warehouse to be built in Rockhampton will be able to hold 730 pallets of personal protection equipment.
“We never want a Queensland Health nurse to ever have to worry ever again if they will have the mask that they want,” he said.
“It won’t just serve us well during pandemics, it will also serve us well in disasters.
“By having these strategic reserves in important parts of the state … we can make sure our health services here have sufficient supply without having to rely on getting trucks up from Brisbane.”
-more to come