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New Mackay cohort qualifies for COVID jab from July

Three community-based vaccination locations in southeast Queensland will begin in the coming weeks.
An additional seven community-based vaccination locations will progressively be opened.
The state is preparing for mass vaccination when supplies of Pfizer vaccine are expected to increase in the last quarter of 2021.
Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said the community hubs would help Queensland’s recalibrated rollout.
“Since the TGA’s advice regarding AstraZeneca, Queensland has had to adapt its approach to the vaccine rollout,” Ms D’Ath said.
“We’re making the vaccine as accessible as possible and maximising our vaccine administration capacity.
“Already, we have stood up Pfizer hubs at hospitals in every HHS across Queensland to provide greater vaccine accessibility.

Wide-bay , Queensland , Australia , Annastacia-palaszczuk , Pfizer , Astrazeneca , Queensland-health , Health-service , Minister-yvetted-ath , Palaszczuk-government , Mackay-hospital , Coronavirus-mackay

Mackay business owners who deferred debt urged to seek help

Mackay small business financial counsellor Kristy Wilson. Picture: Contributed
Business
Staff writer
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A small business financial counsellor is urging small and family businesses in Mackay to seek help urgently if they deferred debt during the pandemic.
Financial management expert Kristy Wilson encouraged businesses owners to be on the front foot so they can survive the next 12 months.
The Rural Financial Counselling Service North Queensland is funded through the state and federal governments to provide small business financial counsellors in Mackay, Whitsunday,
Townsville, Cairns and Western Queensland.
They can provide help to small businesses at risk of financial hardship for free.

Australia , Townsville , Queensland , Kristy-wilson , Services-australia , Rural-financial-counselling-service-north-queensland , Federal-government , Coronavirus-mackay , Covid-19-pandemic , Mackay-business-news , Small-businesses , ஆஸ்திரேலியா

The Mackay vaccine questions federal health fails to answer

Here's what a federal health department spokeswoman had to say:
1. How much of a delay is there for Mackay's aged care vaccine rollout?
(Question was only answered in part)
Scheduling of all residential aged care facilities, including for the Mackay region, is under way to deliver doses as safely and efficiently as possible for residents and staff.
The Australian Government will continue to work with the states and territories and ensure the vaccination program is rolled out as safely and efficiently as possible.
The Department is working with stakeholders to support facilities in the rollout, including aged care peak bodies and advocacy groups.

Australia , Adelaide , South-australia , Australian , Mackay-astrazeneca , George-christensen , Brenton-edwards , Daily-mercury , Australian-government , Mackay-whitsunday , Booking-service

Why COVID-19 vaccine hasn't started in Mackay aged care

Adequate training and a lack of COVID-19 vaccines have been blamed for a delay in delivering the first doses to aged care residents in the Mackay region

North-mackay , Queensland , Australia , Glenella , Beaconsfield , Tasmania , Australian , Keith-pitt , Julieanne-gilbert , Gladys-berejiklian , George-christensen , Queensland-health

JUST IN: More COVID fragments found in Mackay sewage

Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said it was critical any unknown cases were detected “as quickly as possible through our testing system, to contain any potential spread”.
“We are concerned by the new variants that are emerging overseas that are more contagious than previous variants we have seen in Queensland,” Dr Young said.
Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young is urging people to get tested if they are unwell. NCA NewsWire/Bianca De Marchi
“It’s also possible that this detection relates to previous COVID-19 cases that can shed viral fragments for a couple of months after they are no longer infectious.

Brisbane , Queensland , Australia , Airlie-beach , Jeannette-young , Queensland-health-on , Health-service , Mackay-south , Chief-health-officer-dr-jeannette-young , Coronavirus-mackay , Covid-19-mackay , Mackay-health

Cheap business loan program extended for those off JobKeeper

Cheap COVID-recovery loans with 24-month repayment holidays are on offer for Mackay and Whitsunday businesses that move off JobKeeper by March 28.
More than 350,000 current JobKeeper recipients Australia-wide are expected to be eligible under the expanded SME Loan Guarantee Scheme.
Loans will be available from April 1 and must be approved before December 31 this year.
The Morrison-McCormack Government will extend the scheme as part of its commitment to support up to $40 billion in lending to small and medium enterprises.
Under the existing scheme, the government says more than 35,000 loans worth more than $3 billion have already been provided to help businesses get to the other side of this pandemic.

Australia , Kangaroo-island , Tasmania , Hamilton-island , Queensland , Airlie-beach , Australians , Australian , Rae-wilson , Michael-mccormack , Josh-frydenberg , Dan-tehan

Discounted Whitsunday flights to boost tourism industry

The
Daily Mercury and
Whitsunday Times understand the 800,000 discounted tickets are expected to include return flights from Sydney to both Proserpine and Hamilton Island between April 1 and July 31.
Increased flights will go to an initial 13 regions - the Gold Coast, Cairns, the Whitsundays, the Sunshine Coast, Lasseter and Alice Springs, Launceston, Devonport and Burnie, Broome, Avalon, Merimbula and Kangaroo Island.
Demand will drive flights, routes and the total ticket number, which are subject to final discussions with the airlines.
The half-price tickets will be available on airline websites from April 1.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said this next step in the COVID-19 recovery plan would target the businesses, workers and regions still doing it tough.

Australia , Kangaroo-island , Tasmania , Sydney , New-south-wales , Hamilton-island , Queensland , Launceston , Alice-springs , Northern-territory , Ghana , Devonport

Concern over more people at airports without masks

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This follows three recently positive COVID-19 cases transiting through Brisbane Airport.
Dr Jeannette Young said the mask wearing direction is in place for exactly this reason.
Anyone flying on a plane is reminded to wear a mask at the airport and during the flight.
Picture: Alex Coppel.
“We know most of our positive cases are overseas acquired in people travelling to Queensland on planes,” she said.
“This is why the Australian Government mandated mask wearing on planes and in airports, and we have put in place a specific public health direction in Queensland to enforce it.

Australia , Brisbane , Queensland , Australian , Jeannette-young , Alex-coppel , Australian-government , Coronavirus-mackay , Covid-19 , Covid-19-mackay , Health

COVID delivers new opportunities for Mackay job seekers

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COVID-19 has delivered a unique opportunity for Mackay job seekers to train as pharmacy assistants and support the community.
The Pharmacy Guild of Australia’s Queensland Branch is encouraging eligible job seekers to retrain to become pharmacy assistants.
The Pharmacy Guild of Australia is delivering the Queensland Government’s Community Work Skills Program in Mackay, funded under the Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative.
Queensland Branch president Trent Twomey said the state’s network of almost 1200 community pharmacies were vital primary healthcare providers for patients.
“The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has seen all community pharmacists, pharmacy assistants and primary healthcare workers adapting quickly to change in order to support patients in the Queensland community,” Professor Twomey said.

Australia , Australian , Trent-twomey , Community-pharmacy , Pharmacy-guild , Community-work-skills-program , Community-work-skills , Australia-queensland-branch , Queensland-branch , Guild-training , Queensland-government , Skilling-queenslanders

60% of businesses say they are close to full COVID recovery

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New data suggests 15 per cent of Mackay businesses have completely recovered from the effect of COVID-19 restrictions.
Almost three in five businesses say they have recovered between 67 and 100 per cent of pre-COVID-19 trade.
The majority of recovering businesses say a full recovery is unlikely while public health orders remain in place.

Mackay Region Chamber of Commerce's Building Business Confidence lunch. Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland data shows 15 per cent of Mackay's businesses say they have had a complete recovery after COVID-19. Picture: Rae Wilson

But the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland received only 44 Mackay responses to its December Pulse survey so the results cannot be deemed statistically significant, rather can be used just as a guide.

China , Australia , Central-coast , New-south-wales , Chinese , Rae-wilson , Geoff-oconnor , Greg-williamson , Jack-baxter , Haley-crofts , Souths-leagues-club , Services-at-mackay-region-chamber