SYDNEY (BLOOMBERG) - Hospitals in Australia's north-eastern state of Queensland have suspended elective surgeries amid an increase of Covid-19 cases combined with influenza, its health department said.

The Queensland Government's Metro North division, which takes in many of the state's biggest hospitals in Brisbane, has suspended all non-urgent activity to meet current Covid-19 and influenza case demand on its hospitals, according to an e-mailed statement from the health department.

"Queensland is currently experiencing a Covid surge and our staff are prioritising the care of severely unwell patients," the region's health department said in a statement on Friday (July 8) night. "To do this, we have postponed some planned surgery and outpatient care,"

The state reported 5,726 new Covid-19 cases on Friday. Nationwide, Australia has reached its fourth-highest peak in infections for the illness since the pandemic began as the continent's winter continues. The country registered 41,870 new Covid-19 cases in the 24 hours to July 7, the last available period of data.

State capital Brisbane's southern area health system also scrapped 28 surgeries due to Covid-19 effects on emergency demand and staff illness, while the Gold Coast "rescheduled 222 elective surgeries this week, due to increased healthcare pressures" and the Wide Bay rescheduled 43 for the same reasons, the department said.