Queensland records 10,953 COVID-19 cases, premier warns start of school year could be delayed

The start of the primary school year could be delayed by weeks in Queensland after 10,953 new cases of coronavirus were reported in the last 24 hours, up from 10,332 yesterday.

Health officials are predicting the Omicron wave in Queensland to peak at the end of January, just when the school year is set to start.

That perfect storm had prompted a potential strategy rethink from the Palaszczuk government, including the call today for those who can work from home to start doing so.

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Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk warned the start of term one for primary schools could be delayed by up to two weeks if the state is gripped by a rising Omicron wave, as is expected.

"We will give you more concrete decisions over the coming days," Ms Palaszczuk said.

"I just want to assure parents that it is definitely not on the agenda to send primary school children unvaccinated to school if we are in the peak of this wave.

"January and February is going to be a very tough time for Queensland."

Ms Palaszczuk feared school teacher shortages could also affect the start of term one.

She did not divulge if kids would be learning from home or have an extended summer holiday.

The plan would be released soon, she said, adding that the state's vaccination program for primary-aged children was set to start next week.

Ms Palaszczuk said there were "absolutely" more cases in the state "because of people getting a positive test at home".

"We are not going to stop this wave," Ms Palaszczuk said.

"But we will make sure that we are keeping as many people safe as possible."

With 52,600 active cases in the state, there are currently 327 people in hospital, with 14 in intensive care, including three on ventilation.

There have been long testing lines across the state as cases rise, with some people turned away because of high demand.

Officials are expecting an emergency situation in the coming weeks, but insist the state's hospitals are ready and can cope.

However, Ms Palaszczuk warned pressure will quickly rise on frontline workers on various industries and hospitals.

Queensland healthcare is currently down almost 3000 staff, because of coronavirus.

Chief Health Officer John Gerrard said 1150 staff have the virus, and an additional 1800 are in quarantine.

"The speed with which the Omicron strain is spread is extraordinary."

A hotline will be set up, from tomorrow, to collate positive rapid antigen test results and help officials keep a tally on the number of people sick in Queensland, and where to divert resources.

The premier urged Queenslanders to not hoard RATs, as 150,000 new test kits were urgently distributed across the state yesterday.

"Please take one box for your family," she said.

Maintaining RAT stocks would be critical as the wave rises and more people get sidelined from work, Ms Palaszczuk said.

"This is going to be a short, sharp wave but it is really going to test the resilience of this state."

The "bulk" of Queensland's thousands of new reported cases are young people aged between 20-30, Dr Gerrard said.

He was expecting "very substantial numbers" of people admitted to hospital in the coming weeks.

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Most of those people would be straightforward cases for staff to treat, he said, but he warned critical care patients would rise.

"I've no doubt about that," he said.

Yesterday, Dr Gerrard reiterated his message to Queenslanders that all residents should brace for continual high caseloads, but the rate of infections in hospital is the real number of concern.

And with many people testing and self-managing at home, the true number of COVID-19 cases was hard to fathom.