COVID-19 update 342 | 03/02/2022
Louise O’Riordan, Metro North Health Incident Controller
Dear colleagues,
- Booster eligibility
- Monoclonal antibody clinic
- Staff and public testing services
- Returning to work
- International travel – staff exemptions
- Fit testing and fit checking
Today there are 8643 reported new cases of COVID-19 in Queensland.
Booster eligibility
ATAGI is now recommending COVID boosters for people aged 16 and up. Anyone over 16 who has had their second dose of vaccine at least three months ago is eligible for a booster.
Boosters are available at all Metro North vaccination clinics, including our school pop ups this week:
| Taigum State School 266 Handford Road, Taigum Date: Fri 4 Feb Time: 0900-1430 |
Moreton Downs State School 101 Lipscombe Road, Deception Bay Date: Sat 5 Feb and Sun 6 Feb Time: 0900-1430 |
| Undurba State School 49 -57 Ogg Road, Murrumba Downs Date: Sat 5 Feb and Sun 6 Feb Time: 0900-1430 |
There will be additional Saturday pop ups at schools over the next few weeks to provide more opportunities to get the whole family vaccinated.
Find the details of your nearest vaccination centre at the Queensland Health vaccination locations page.
Steps for recording your booster are available on the extranet.
Monoclonal antibody clinic
Today we have opened a monoclonal antibody community clinic at North Lakes for COVID positive patients who meet the criteria for sotrovimab infusion treatment.
People can be referred to the clinic from their GP or the Virtual Ward, via Metro North Virtual ED.
Staff and public testing services
From tomorrow, the RBWH fever clinic will move from QUT Kelvin Grove to the RNA Showgrounds. The clinic will also be providing rapid antigen test kits.
The RBWH staff RAT collection service will move to the RNA from next Wednesday.
TPCH and Redcliffe fever clinics will continue with current arrangements.
Due to low numbers, the Brighton Health Campus staff RAT collection service is winding up however every clinical directorate will have RATs available for staff who meet the close contact criteria.
For the latest opening staff testing hours and locations please visit the Metro North extranet.
A full list of alternate COVID-19 testing services open to the public is updated daily and can be found on the Queensland Health fever clinic site. Staff can also visit any of these sites.
With schools opening there has been a lot of discussion about access to RATs. Schools are being provided with RATs, but we may see symptomatic teachers and students at our centres. We will need to accommodate these groups as a priority.
Routine inpatient surveillance rapid antigen testing is being expanded as well and local protocols are being developed.
Returning to work
The Premier has asked that employees currently working from home return to work in a gradual planned way rather than all at once.
Metro North staff will begin returning to work from Monday 14 February, however we are working on a plan to stagger this return, according to operational needs. I will update you next week on Metro North’s gradual return to work plan.
Information about leave options and entitlements is available on the extranet and QHEPS.
International travel – staff exemptions
Under Hospital Entry Direction (No. 10), people who have been overseas in the past 14 days need to apply for an exemption from the Chief Health Officer to enter our facilities. Only vaccinated travellers coming from safe travel countries are eligible.
Staff will need to apply for the exemption (before travelling if possible) via the Queensland Government exemptions portal. To do make your return to work easier, please follow these steps:
- Submit your exemption request via the Queensland Government exemptions portal.
- Email the details of your request and your application reference number (RITM) to your directorate EOC, including your proposed return to work date. This will be provided to Metro North EOC.
- Metro North EOC will liaise with Health Directions and communicate the application outcome as soon as it is known.
Under the Quarantine and other Requirements for International Arrivals Direction (No. 21), fully vaccinated international arrivals are not required to quarantine if:
- you have undertaken a COVID-19 test within 24 hours of your arrival in Queensland, and
- you isolate at your residence, accommodation, or boat until you receive a negative result.
An international arrival who undertook a COVID-19 test in another State or Territory within 24 hours of arrival in Australia and received a negative test result, does not have to undertake a COVID-19 test within 24 hours of arrival in Queensland.
Fit testing and fit checking
Metro North Health is committed to prioritising fit testing for all our frontline staff. Please check the fit testing schedule on the extranet for local information.
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. In an emergent situation, if your fitted mask cannot be located, please escalate to your team leader/hospital coordinator. A fit checked P2/N95 can be worn, as a last resort, until you are fit tested. You should not participate in aerosol generating procedures if you are not wearing a fit tested mask.
Have you been fit tested at a different HHS to where you currently work? You might not need to be fit tested again, if:
- you have your fit testing report
- you were fit tested in the past 12 months
- your facial features have not changed significantly
- you were fit tested to a mask available in your current HHS.
You can show your line manager a copy of your fit test report and have this information recorded in the system. You don’t need to have another fit test.
If you have any concerns about fit testing, you can submit them via the fit testing feedback portal. Urgent issues should be escalated to your supervisor and local EOC for resolution.
Your work is appreciated, thank you.
Regards,
Louise O’Riordan
Metro North Health Incident Controller
_____________________________________________________________________
Current Metro North Health tier activated – Tier 4
Helpful links
Metro North HHS – overview of cases*
| Patients managed by HHS | Fever clinics | ||||||
| Total in-patients | Virtual ward/ HITH/ similar | Deaths** | No. of clinics | Presentations | |||
| Total | ICU patients | Total^ | |||||
| ICU not ventilated | ICU ventilated | ||||||
| 116 | 4 | 6 | 735 | 23 | 7 | 594 | |
Norfolk Island – overview of cases****
| Patients managed by HHS | Close Contacts in quarantine | ||||||
| Total in-patients | Virtual ward/ HITH/ similar | Total cases including recovered | Deaths | ||||
| Total | ICU patients | ||||||
| ICU not ventilated | ICU ventilated | ||||||
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 86 | 0 | 0 | |
*As at the above date
**Metro North Health has 23 recorded deaths (one person a return traveller into NSW, who passed away in NSW)
*** These numbers reflect the cases being managed by Metro North Health.
**** As part of an Intergovernmental Agreement, from 1 January 2022 Metro North Health is providing a number of health support services to Norfolk Island. This includes advice and support to staff on island in terms of managing COVID patients. The numbers in this section of the table refer to COVID patients who remain on Norfolk Island and are receiving direct care by staff on Norfolk Island.