Authorities are "looking closely" at whether to ease Queensland's COVID-19 risk warning level as case numbers and hospitalisations continue to decline.
Queensland Health said there were 8,635 active cases of the virus on January 11, which is a fall of 19 per cent on the week before.
The number of hospitalised patients with the virus was also declining, Chief Health Officer Dr John Gerrard said.
"There were 468 hospitalised patients on 11 January 11 compared with 551 on January 4 — a reduction of 15 per cent," he said.
The state's traffic light warning system has been on amber for the past nine weeks.
It means masks are recommended in healthcare settings, on public transport, in crowded indoor places and around those who are vulnerable to the virus.
Queensland Health said individuals should also wear a mask if one is required by a healthcare provider, venue or household.
Dr Gerrard has signalled the amber warning level could soon be downgraded.
"We are looking closely at a number of key measures and if we can move back to green in the near future," he said.
Queensland pandemic deaths exceed 2,500
Queensland Health said another 73 COVID-19 deaths were recorded between January 4 and January 11.
But not all of the individuals died in that week, as there were some reporting delays over the Christmas holiday period.
They take the state's total pandemic death toll to 2,541.
An independent group of doctors and scientists, known as OzSAGE, said COVID-19 was the third-highest cause of death in Australia in 2022.
In a summary released on January 11, the group said there were 13,641 COVID-related deaths nationally to November 30, 2022 — which is 12 times the annual road toll.
"There is every indication that unless Australia changes its stance on managing COVID, this trend will continue into 2023," it said.
The experts have repeatedly called for higher levels of booster vaccination, safe indoor air, the use of masks in poorly ventilated areas, a return to free and widely accessible testing, and a review of safety measures in high-risk settings such as aged care.
