COVID-19 update 344 | 05/02/2022

Dear colleagues,

• Updates to Public Health Directions
• Boosters
• International travel – staff exemptions
• Staff and public testing services
• Fit testing and fit checking

Today there are 8,508 reported new cases of COVID-19 in Queensland.

Updates to Public Health Directions

Please be advised that from 4.30pm yesterday, Friday 4 February, updates were made to the Workers in a healthcare setting (COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements) Direction (No. 3)  and COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements for Workers in a high-risk setting Direction (No.2)  Please read as required.

Boosters 

Boosters continue to play an important role in reducing the severity of COVID and are available at all Metro North vaccination clinics.

This week ATAGI recommended COVID boosters for 16 and 17 year olds three months after their second dose. We will be establishing some Saturday pop ups at high schools in the coming weeks to help get this cohort boosted.

We will have pop ups at the following two schools this weekend:

• Moreton Downs State School, 101 Lipscombe Road, Deception Bay, 9am-2.30pm this Saturday and Sunday.
• Undurba State School, 49 -57 Ogg Road, Murrumba Downs, 9am-2.30pm this Saturday and Sunday.

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.

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:

1. Submit your exemption request via the Queensland Government exemptions portal.
2. 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.
3. 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.

Staff and public testing services 

From today, the RBWH fever clinic has relocated 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 finishing 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.

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.

Regards,

Sam Betros
Metro North Health Incident Controller

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Helpful links

• Register your positive RAT result
• Upload evidence of your vaccine
• Qld Health contact tracing list
• Register for your vaccine
• Qld Health general COVID-19 page
• Metro North COVID-19 extranet
• COVID vidcast recordings on QHEPS

Metro North HHS – overview of cases*

Norfolk Island – overview of cases****

*As at the above date
**Metro North Health has 18 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.