Dear colleagues,

• Current situation
• Staff COVID vaccine boosters
• Pop up vaccine registration kiosks
• Useful links

Current situation

We currently have 211 active cases of COVID in our care, including 103 inpatients with 5 in ICU (3 ventilated). It’s worth noting that many of our inpatients with COVID have been admitted for other reasons and have incidental COVID. There are 108 patients in the Virtual Ward.

Today 451 staff are away from work due to either being COVID positive or requiring isolation due to being a close contact. This number does not include other types of sick leave. We have returned 50 staff as critically essential workers.

Metro North remains in Tier 3 of our COVID-19 and Influenza Response Plan.

Staff COVID vaccine boosters

To support staff to have their COVID third or fourth doses, we will be running a four-day booster blitz across Metro North from 16-19 August. These will be at STARS, RBWH, TPCH, Caboolture, and Redcliffe Hospitals.

We are finalising details over the next couple of days, so will provide more information later in the week.

In the meantime, vaccinations are widely available in the community through pharmacies and GPs.

Register your booster

Our registered staff booster numbers are quite low, but anecdotally the actual numbers are higher. To support staff to upload your booster information, we have continued the pop up kiosks this week.

We are not providing vaccinations at the kiosks.

Kiosks are located at:

• Redcliffe Hospital, Monday-Friday 10am-3pm, Education Centre
• Caboolture Hospital, Monday-Friday 10am-3pm, Library
• North Lakes Health Precinct, Thursday-Friday 10am-3pm
• TPCH, Monday-Friday 10am-3pm, EOC Office, Executive Building 12
• STARS, Monday-Friday 10am-3pm, Level 3 internal corridor
• RBWH, Monday-Friday 10am-3pm, Level 2 walkway

Please bring your vaccination evidence with full name, vaccine details and date of vaccinations.  You can download your full COVID-19 digital certificate (not the green tick) or your immunisation history from MyGov or Medicare, a vaccination certificate from a chemist or healthcare provider, or your COVID vaccination appointment card (with both sides).

If you use a different name for your medical records than your work ID, please also bring evidence of name change (eg marriage certificate).

You can also register your additional doses yourself online. The process is the same as recording your first two doses:

• Download your COVID digital certificate from your myGov account
• Go to the COVID-19 Vaccination Hub
• Choose the +Booster Vaccination option
• Add your booster details
• Upload or drag and drop your certificate
• Save

You can also submit a paper form if you can’t get to a kiosk or upload to the COVID vaccination hub during work hours. The form can be submitted to MN-COVID-Staff-Vaccination-Forms-only@health.qld.gov.au with a copy of your vaccination evidence.

If you’re not sure whether you have already updated your information, you can check under the personal profile section of myHR.

Useful links

• Find a PCR test provider (including drive through, bulk bill, four-plex) on the Queensland Government website. The site also includes locations for RAT kits for eligible commonwealth concession card holders.
• People with respiratory symptoms can make an appointment (often same day) through GP Respiratory Clinics.
• You can find a COVID vaccine provider using the Department of Health COVID Vaccine Clinic Finder website.

Your GP can also provide:

• COVID-19 vaccination
• Referral for COVID-19 and other respiratory virus PCR
• Assessment and management of COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses

Prescription of COVID-19 oral antivirals for eligible COVID-19 positive patients.

Regards,

Louise O’Riordan
Metro North Health Incident Controller