Dear colleagues,

I’m very pleased to say that Queensland has recorded no new cases of COVID-19 today, which is very encouraging after our last case was confirmed. We all have a hand in preventing community transmission and we’re doing very well, keep up the good work!

I have just two short updates for you today:

• Fever Clinic update
• QLD/ NSW border bubble

Fever Clinic update

Over the last few weeks our frontline staff at Metro North fever clinics have been met with overwhelming number of presentations. We are seeing a steady decline of presentations after the initial influx two weeks ago. Thank you to all of our frontline staff who have been working as hard as ever.

We’ve also made an incredible milestone! Since the beginning of the pandemic, Metro North has clocked over 60,000 COVID-19 tests! The more we test, the better chance we have of finding cases and preventing them from spreading further. Thank you for all of your hard work!

QLD/ NSW border bubble

I spoke about the Queensland and New South Wales border bubble in yesterday’s message, but I’d like to provide a quick update. I can confirm that employees who are unable to receive an exemption to travel between QLD and NSW for work at Metro North will be continue to be paid as per normal. Please speak to your line manager about flexible working arrangements should this apply to you.

It’s worth noting that health workers and clinicians are not automatically assumed to be specialist health workers for the purposes of granting border exemptions. All submissions for specialist health worker status must meet 5 essential criteria as set out in the Border Direction and be progressed through your line manager to the EOCs.

For more information on Border Direction 11, please visit this website.

Another reminder to please ensure you are maintaining physical distancing in lifts, meetings, eating areas and your work area where possible. For those working in hospital or other health facilities, please be mindful of patients when using the lift, especially if they are in a vulnerable condition. Why not use the stairs and get up your steps! This will help minimise the line for our patients and helps you stay in tip-top shape.  I am certainly not in tip-top shape but I wear a Fitbit and have a personal goal to do the recommended 10 000 steps/day. In the evening, if I am a few hundred steps short, I walk up and down the length of my house until my Fitbit does the magic Fitbit  dance!!! My husband thinks I am crackers and the new dog is a little perplexed at his crazy owner but I feel good doing it!!!

On a little more sombre note, can I remind staff about the fact that we need to be kind to each other. We are all under pressure at the moment. We don’t really know what is around the corner with COVID-19 and we are all have stressors and pressures not only at work, but also in our personal lives. Sometimes we interact with each other inappropriately and this is not helpful to either you or the person you are speaking to. Please remember to always speak to your colleagues in the manner that you would wish to be spoken to. Remember our Values in Action requirements. My mantra is “Life is short, work somewhere awesome”!!! We work in a wonderful HHS and we are all in this together.

Stay tuned for another update tomorrow!

Kind regards,
Alanna Geary
Metro North Incident Commander

Metro North HHS – Overview of Cases*

*With effect 11 August 2020, 10:00am
**Metro North has three recorded deaths (one person a return traveller into NSW, who passed away in NSW)
*** These numbers reflect the cases being managed by Metro North.