COVID-19 update 368 & Intense rainfall event update | 1/03/2022

Dear colleagues,

• Flood update 
  • Lean forward
  • Infrastructure
  • Staffing
• COVID update 
  • Change for staff returning from overseas
  • Testing services

FLOOD UPDATE 

Lean Forward – INTENSE RAINFALL EVENT 

This morning we have moved from STAND UP to LEAN FORWARD for the intense rainfall event (LEAN FORWARD – Code Brown). Every directorate has commenced damage assessment and recovery. The purpose of this LEAN FORWARD posture is to ensure we can respond to ongoing effects of this event and are prepared for the predicted storms and rain over the coming days.

Though there is sunshine today, the predicted storms and rain over the next few days combined with slowly subsiding flood waters and controlled dam catchment releases means it is likely that the Brisbane area will be affected by MODERATE flood level peaks (Brisbane River at greater than 2.6m height at City Guage) again later this week.  This morning the peak was 3.35m (~9am), this evening, the peak is expected to be just under 3m.

As of 13:30 today, more than 36,900 energy customers across south-east Queensland are currently impacted by power outages. The Brisbane River is closed until further notice. Train services remain suspended today. Brisbane City Council bus services are operating on a Saturday timetable. We continue to provide support to evacuation centres and flood isolated communities.

Also, with large bodies of water, conditions are ripe for mosquitoes to transmit diseases including Ross River virus, Barmah Forest virus and Malaria. The risk of diseases such as melioidosis and leptospirosis, which are caused by bacteria found in contaminated water also increases in the wake of flooding.

I urge you to stay informed at this critical time. Please stay tuned to messaging from authorities and the latest warnings from the Bureau of Meterology. When faced with a flooded road, back it up. Remember – if it’s flooded, forget it.

Infrastructure 

Our Building, Engineering and Maintenance teams across the health service are very busy assessing damage and prioritising repairs. Please be patient as work needs to be done in the order to ensure the most impact on service delivery.

Campbell Place (CitiLink building) will be unusable until at least next Monday, possibly longer.

Staffing 

As the providers of an essential service, the community relies on us to be here for them. We know that some staff may not be able to get to your usual workplace due to road closures, flood impact or as a result of school closures.

If you are not able to get to your workplace for any reason, please talk to your supervisor. Where possible, we are asking staff to work at alternative locations to ensure continued service delivery. Another option that may also be considered is working from home.

The Chief Human Resources Officer provided information yesterday evening about leave options available to staff. This includes Special Leave (flood and storm leave) and Special paid discretionary leave for school, kindergarten and daycare closures due to impacts of weather events. The latter requires details of the school/facility that the children attend and the availability of alternative arrangements and/or remote work. If any line managers have questions regarding individual applications for Special Leave or Special paid Discretionary Leave, they should contact their local HR team.

We have been advised that most schools across south-east Queensland will be able to reopen tomorrow, Wednesday 2 March. Information on Queensland school closures can be found here.

COVID UPDATE 

Change for staff returning from overseas 

The Quarantine for International Arrivals Direction (No. 22) has been updated to allow vaccinated staff who work in vulnerable and high-risk settings, such as our facilities, to return to work within 14 days.

The directions states:

A fully vaccinated international arrival, who enters Queensland from a place outside of Australia is not permitted to enter a vulnerable or high-risk setting during the 14 days after arriving in Queensland, unless the person:

• is a worker in a vulnerable or high-risk setting; and
• is fully vaccinated and, where required, is up to date with their vaccinations; and
• has no symptoms consistent with COVID-19; and
• undertakes a COVID-19 test and receives a negative test result before commencing duties and every second day thereafter until 7 days have passed from arrival into Queensland; and
• the worker uses personal protective equipment as required by the responsible person for the vulnerable or high-risk setting until 14 days have passed from arrival into Queensland; and
• the responsible person agrees to the worker returning to the vulnerable or high risk setting, and to the extent of any inconsistency with another public health direction, this provision prevails to allow the worker to enter the vulnerable or high risk setting for the performance of their official duties.

Testing facilities 

The RNA Showgrounds fever clinic has closed as the space is required for the flood response. RBWH staff can access RAT kits from their line manager during business hours or from the After Hours Nurse Managers at other times.

TPCH fever clinic is offering rapid antigen tests today and tomorrow. It will reopen for PCR testing from Thursday.

Redcliffe Hospital fever clinic is providing PCR testing and Caboolture is offering RAT kits.

Kind regards,

Louise O’Riordan and Dr Liz Rushbrook
Metro North Health Incident Controller

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Helpful links

• Register your positive RAT result
• Upload evidence of your vaccine or booster
• Vaccination locations
• 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 recorded deaths (one person a return traveller into NSW, who passed away in NSW)
*** 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.