Glynis Schultz A/Executive Director Community and Oral Health
As you would have seen today and yesterday from the Incident Controller Messages we have moved to Tier 3 in our COVID-19 response plan.
For us as a directorate, this will mean few changes, but collectively we are planning and slowly refocusing on our business-as-usual activity as we see how the next few weeks pan out.
At the moment our priority remains to support the broader COVID-19 response especially as it relates to the virtual ward, vaccination clinics, support to hospitals and our ongoing bedded and oral health care.
Key reminders for Tier 3:
- Outpatient/specialist appointments should be virtual, and only urgent face to face appointments where virtual is not clinically appropriate
- Visitors restrictions remain as per CHO direction
- No volunteers are allowed onsite
- We continue to encourage virtual meetings only, and continue to suspend non-essential meetings.
- No face-to-face training, with essential training to be delivered virtually.
Please note. Vaccinated students are allowed on site.
Oral Health update
A big vote of thanks and appreciation for all oral health staff deployed to other areas during the COVID-19 response, many of whom are now returning to their positions.
A warm welcome to Samantha Townsend who will commence soon as our Finance Officer; and Dr David Moroney A/Director CAOHS and COHS.
Metro North Oral Health are planning and in the process of implementing a staged recovery of services and resumption of “Business as COVID usual” over the next fortnight.
Vaccination Clinic Update
Our Children’s vaccination clinics at Kippa Ring and Doomben are now vaccinating both adults and children. Thank you to the teams at each site for quickly enhancing their scope of service to include adults. While this sounds simple the conversion isn’t something that was easily done.
We are continuing to take our vaccination clinics to the community and schools, and refining our effort by closing the vaccination clinic at Brighton next week. Thank you to all of the staff who have relocated to Brighton to support this effort.
Dedicated RAT pick up
The Brighton Wellness Hub, 19th Avenue Brighton remains open Monday to Friday 2.00 pm-4.00 pm for asymptomatic close contact staff pick up a RAT.
If closer, you can also collect a RAT kit from the Metro North staff collection sites listed in the last Incident Controller’s message.
Fit testing and fit checking
Metro North Health is committed to prioritising fit testing for all our frontline staff. The National Guideline, referenced in the Queensland Health guideline, recommends that you do a fit check every time you don an N95 mask to ensure you have a good seal.
If you haven’t been Fit Tested please call 0487 537 524 to book an appointment.
If line managers and staff have an urgent need please call the number and we will work to arrange testing as a priority.
Glynis Schultz
A/Executive Director
Community and Oral Health