At Logan Hospital, about 300 staff have either tested positive for Covid, or have been in close contact.
Schools are set to start two weeks later than initially scheduled.
And supermarket shelves remain thinly stocked due to supply chain issues.
Matters, say the government, will get worse before they get better.
But there’s a bright side. Officials agree there’s light at the end of the pandemic tunnel as we learn to live with Covid-19.
Logan Hospital has, for at least the next two weeks, delayed Category 2 and Category 3 procedures as the staffing crisis around Covid-19 deepens. And it is believed some Category 1 surgery may also be delayed.
“This is to enable the health service to respond to the growing number of Covid-19 positive patients we are managing both in our hospitals and the community,” a local health spokesperson said.
“Emergency and trauma surgery and some Category 1 surgery is continuing across the health service.”
Metro South Health, including Logan, does about 600 elective surgical cases per week.
“Metro South Health has a number of staff who have tested positive or have been furloughed due to contact with a Covid-19 positive case, which impacts our ability to maintain all of our services,” the spokesperson said.
Hospitals have been bombarded with requests for Covid testing kits.
As recently as Sunday and Monday, a sign on Loganlea Road stated clearly that no tests were available.
“We are issuing tests as stock becomes available,” the hospital spokesperson said.
“We ask that people please be patient and treat hospital staff with respect at this time.”
Meanwhile, the increasing number of positive cases is hurting the local economy.
Some stores have chosen to close for short periods of time due to staff shortages.
“People are doing what they can,” Logan Chamber of Commerce president Stewart Fleming said.
“To be honest, I feel that most businesses who have ridden the wave for the last two years are resilient enough to get through this short period. This (staff shortages) is something we won’t be talking about in three or four months time.”
Mr Fleming said businesses were tightening their belts and “doing what it takes” for a short, sharp period of difficulty.
“We were told before Christmas that there would be a rise in positive cases, so we’ve been bracing ourselves for this. In terms of the outlook, many people are planning some monstrous stuff this year, and I feel the economy is waiting to explode,” he said.
“There are definitely positive signs ahead.
“We’re a bit bored with this whole Covid thing, so businesses are just keen to get on with it.”
Despite a delayed start to the school year, Beenleigh State High School principal Matt O’Hanlon remained pragmatic.
He said students and teachers were now accustomed to periods of home learning, and “all schools should be prepared for this”.
He too said there were warnings before Christmas that heightened positive testing could cause disruption.
“There’s no real panic stations,” he said.
“The biggest issue is with staffing. And we also should be considerate of families who are going through complex times.”
“We’ve had two years to prepare for this. The government has made allowances for the children of parents who are essential workers, and we have a level of preparedness in place. The school is prepared. Students are prepared. So it shouldn’t be too difficult from here.”
