COVID-19 update 318 | 10/01/2022

Dear Colleagues,

• Vaccinations for 5-11 year olds  
• Accessing rapid antigen tests 
• Return to work for staff in isolation  
• Critically essential workers 

Today there are 9581 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Queensland.

Vaccination for 5-11 year olds 

Our Kippa Ring community vaccination clinic opened today as a dedicated clinic for children aged 5-11 years old. This clinic will be open seven days a week, with the first appointment at 8.20am and the last appointment at 3.50pm. The clinic is taking bookings and has some capacity for walk ins as well.

Evie, Olivia, Harry and Louie are just some of our 300+ 5-11 year-olds who have been at Kippa Ring today, as the first kids to get vaccinated at Metro North. The centre has been a huge success with many kids smiling their way through the vaccine to keep each other and the community safe.

Accessing rapid antigen tests 

We have a limited supply of rapid antigen tests across Metro North.

Staff who are identified as close contacts of a COVID-19 positive person may be able to access a test from our staff only collection sites:

• Brighton Health Campus wellness centre, Monday to Friday 10am – 2pm
• Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital outside Pulse Café, Monday to Friday 9am-4.15pm

If you meet the close contact criteria, you will need to show your ID and complete registration. Please remember to be polite.

This is a precious resource to keep our health services functioning, so please do not use this service unless you personally require it. Please report any positive RAT results via the Queensland Health RAT portal.

Our fever clinics have some RATs available for members of the community who are close contacts or symptomatic who are unable to get a PCR test.

Metro North staff only testing centres:

• RBWH Education Centre, Monday to Friday, 9am to 4.15pm
• TPCH located in Outpatients B (former Children’s Outpatients Department), Monday to Friday, 7am to 2pm
• Caboolture Hospital staff carpark, Monday to Sunday, 7.30am to 5pm

Return to work for staff in isolation  

We currently have 1250 staff in isolation as close contacts. Staff who are able to move out of the residence are able to return to work 48 hours later, if they have a negative RAT on day 2 and before every shift. This does not apply to staff who are able to separate from the rest of their household within the same residence.

The risk management plan for each staff member includes the following:

• Separate from the diagnosed case and COVID-19 RAT test negative on day 2 after separation, prior to commencing work
• Must be asymptomatic – this is checked by the Work Unit or Hospital Manager prior to the staff member commencing work each day
• Daily Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) prior to the commencement of each work shift from day of return to work until 7 days since the date the diagnosed case.
• For 14 days post exposure:
  • Wear a P2/N95 respirator in clinical areas in accordance with the PPE escalation level; and
  • wear surgical mask in non-clinical areas (e.g. staff only spaces) and travel to and from work.
  • Do not enter shared spaces such as tearooms and do not participate in any staff gatherings in the workplace where masks are likely to be removed
  • Careful monitoring for symptoms.

If you need support with a place to stay, we can try assist. Please contact us via the hotline to discuss your situation. It’s running 8am – 5pm, 7 days a week on 07 3646 5500.

A reminder that staff who are asymptomatic positive cases OR close contacts who return a negative RAT result on day 6, should both return to work on day 8. You will be required to follow additional PPE and testing rules as outlined previously.

Don’t forget to tell your line manager if become unwell or need to isolate as a close contact, as soon as possible, so we can manage our workforce at this busy time.

Critically essential workers 

This morning updates were made to the  Isolation for Diagnosed Cases of COVID-19 and Management of Close Contacts (No. 3) direction, which allows employers in critical industries, including health, to identify staff who perform a critically essential role. These identified staff can be allowed to leave quarantine to perform their roles if they are fully vaccinated and have no COVID-19 symptoms.

Please note, this is not at the discretion of individual staff or line managers. We are awaiting a health protocol which will help us identify which roles can be identified as critically essential workers.

There are specific criteria for critically essential roles including having particular skills, the role must be performed in person at the workplace, and the role must continue to prevent an immediate risk of death or serious injury.

Kind regards,

Louise O’Riordan

Metro North Health Incident Controller

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Helpful links

• 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 four 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.