The government has raised its virus alert from green to amber, which means masks are recommended indoors when people can't socially distance in healthcare facilities and around older or vulnerable people.
Masks are also urged while on public transport and in crowded settings.
However, chief health officer John Gerrard says there is no need for alarm and Queensland will not return to forced mask mandates.
"We are entering another wave here in Queensland as in other states of Australia, and this is not unexpected, but these waves will probably go on for some months or even longer," Dr Gerrard told ABC Radio on Friday.
He said said the wave's peak was expected within weeks.
"The duration of these waves is unclear ... we believe the peak will certainly be before Christmas, some time early in December."
Hospitalisations have more than doubled to 205 in the past week, while 73 people have died and 21,761 new cases have been recorded since the beginning of October.
Case numbers have erupted since the weekend with the BQ.1 variant, which has swept Europe and the US, spreading in northern Brisbane and on the Gold Coast.
Dr Gerrard said while precautions were necessary, people should continue their daily routines.
"This is just the means of communication of what is happening with COVID in the community, and this will be going on for months or even years, so people need to get on with their lives.
"But one very specific most important message and that is that people need to be up to date with their vaccinations."
Queensland's vaccination rate remains at 91.5 per cent. Health Minister Yvette D'Ath has urged people to book in their booster shots to better protect themselves from infection.
"We know that some of the best protection against this virus comes from ensuring that we are fully up to date with our booster doses," she told parliament on Thursday.
Vulnerable Queenslanders might also be eligible to receive COVID-19 antivirus coupled with vaccination, she said.
"This provides significant protection against the virus and provides the best chance of preventing serious illness," Ms D'Ath said.
"Queenslanders have been put to the test time and time again and each and every time we have prevailed. I'm sure this time will be no different."
The chief health officer's powers to order border closures, lock down cities or mandate vaccines for the general public were revoked by parliament last month.
Dr Gerrard can still legally order infected people to isolate and close contacts to quarantine, and mandate face masks and vaccination in health facilities for another 12 months.
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