SYDNEY, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- Health authorities of Australia's state of Queensland on Friday warned residents against COVID-19 complacency as the transmission rate of the virus is slowing down.
Residents are encouraged to get up to date with their vaccinations, and those at the age of over 70 are encouraged to have a plan to obtain antiviral treatments if they get infected.
Queensland Chief Health Officer John Gerrard said current data showed case numbers were no longer rapidly increasing but it was not a reason to become complacent.
"The number of active cases increased 73 percent between Nov. 9 and 16 but by only 8 percent the following week, consistent with the national trend," Gerrard said.
According to federal Department of Health data, there were an average of 11,953 new cases recorded daily in the week to Friday.
It represents an increase of 10 percent from the previous week, a significantly smaller increase than in early and mid-November.
"While the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 increased from 245 on Nov. 16 to 312 on Nov. 23, this is significantly lower than in previous waves and we expect this number to fall in coming weeks," Gerrard said.
The chief health officer also encouraged residents to wear a mask in healthcare settings, indoors if they can not socially distance, and on public transport, as suggested by the state's COVID-19 "traffic light system."
The system, introduced in October this year, consists of three levels, green, amber and red, that signal the level of risk posed by COVID-19 in the community and corresponding advice.
Queensland, which recorded 10,106 cases in the seven days as of midnight Nov. 15, is currently in "amber" of its "traffic light system", which means moderate risk of COVID-19 in the community. ■
