Mayor Danielle Slade has expressed her strong support for Queensland's Chief Health Officer, Dr Jeannette Young, saying Dr Young's exemplary work has kept Queenslanders safe during the pandemic.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Speaking after Chief Health Officer has been placed under 24-hour police guard when she received death threats and was the victim of online trolling, Cr Slade said she stood by Dr Young.
"Dr Young has worked tirelessly since this pandemic began and has provided excellent advice to the Queensland Government which they have listened to and acted on accordingly," Cr Slade said.
"These decisions are not easy decisions to make, but they have been made on the advice of health professionals and in the best interests of all Queenslanders' health and safety, and they have helped to save lives.
"For remote communities such as ours in particular this means a lot, because these actions have kept COVID-19 out of Mount Isa and the surrounding area."
Cr Slade's comments follow the president of the Local Government Association of Queensland, Mark Jamieson, who said that councils have been incredibly grateful and supportive of the evidence-based advice and professional approach Dr Young has taken to protect the health and wellbeing of Queenslanders.
Dr Young said influenza made people sick and a number unfortunately died - often children under the age of five or the elderly, and other people with complex medical conditions.
But COVID-19 had lasting impacts on brain, heart, lung and kidney function and was not just a respiratory disease.
"This is why we have the very strict protocols that we have in Queensland for quarantine. This is about people not getting this disease," Dr Young said.
While you are here, subscribe to our weekly email delivered to your inbox every Tuesday and Friday.