COVID-19 update 350 | 11/02/2022
Louise O’Riordan Metro North Health Incident Controller
Dear colleagues,
- Masks in non-clinical areas
- Fit testing and fit checking
- Record your fit test
- Vaccination pop ups
- Staff PCR and RAT services
Masks in non-clinical areas
The current working from home arrangements will finish this Sunday and staff will return to their workplace from Monday.
Please remember that facemasks are mandatory and must be worn at all times by healthcare workers and visitors in hospitals, healthcare settings, residential aged care facilities, disability accommodations, and prisons.
This includes when sitting at your desk, unless you are working alone in your own office.
Metro North region is still in the high risk category in the PPE matrix which outlines the appropriate PPE for your type of work.
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.
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.
Record your fit test
You can record your fit testing results directly to TMS including the masks you that are a successful fit. Instructions on how to add a completed course are available on QHEPS. Line managers can then approve the completed course in TMS.
Line managers can also add fit testing results on behalf of their staff using the instructions on QHEPS.
Vaccination pop ups
We are holding vaccination pop up clinics over the next month at schools and community events.
This Sunday 13 February and next Sunday 20 February there will be pop ups at the Caboolture Showgrounds (Gamgee building) from 9am to 3pm, coinciding with the Caboolture Markets and Jurassic Creatures events.
From Monday 14 February our school pop ups will continue at primary schools on weekdays and at high schools on weekends. The first two will be Kallangur State School and Mango Hill State School next Monday and Tuesday from 2.30pm-6.00pm.
Find your nearest vaccination centre on the Queensland Health website.
If you have had your booster, there are instructions on the extranet on how to register it.
Staff PCR and RAT services
The RBWH Education Centre staff PCR testing site is moving to the public RNA Showgrounds site this week.
Each directorate will be managing RAT distribution for their staff. You can collect a RAT kit from the Metro North staff collection site closest to your home if needed.
- Community & Oral Health – Brighton Wellness Hub, 19th Avenue Brighton, Monday to Friday 2pm-4pm. Asymptomatic close contact staff only. RAT collection only. Contact EOC-COH outside these hours.
- TPCH – Outpatients B, 7 days 8am-12pm. RAT and PCR available. Staff can also attend the public fever clinic at Building 26, Hamilton Rd, and speak to the concierge.
- Caboolture Hospital – staff carpark, 7 days 7.30am-3.30pm, PCR and RAT available. RAT kits also available after hours from EOC (phone 5316 5014), hospital coordinators, or ED triage if all other options not available.
- STARS – weekdays 8am-4pm phone 3647 7026 to arrange RAT collection.
- Redcliffe – fever clinic near main entrance, priority staff PCR tests 8am-9am 7 days, RAT kits available 9am-3.30pm 7days at fever clinic.
- RNA Showgrounds – drive through & walk in fever clinic, Gate 5 O’Connell Tce, 8am-4pm 7 days, RAT collection and PCR tests.
For the latest opening staff testing hours and locations please visit the Metro North extranet. Please bring your staff ID and Medicare cards.
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.
I will be on leave next week. Mark Butterworth will be the Metro North Health Incident Controller in my absence.
Thank you and have a good weekend.
Kind regards,
Louise O’Riordan
Metro North Health Incident Controller
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Current Metro North Health tier activated – Tier 3
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*
| Patients managed by HHS | Fever clinics | ||||||
| Total in-patients | Virtual ward/ HITH/ similar | Deaths** | No. of clinics | Presentations | |||
| Total | ICU patients | Yesterday | |||||
| ICU not ventilated | ICU ventilated | ||||||
| 73 | 4 | 3 | 309 | 29 | 7 | 285 | |
Norfolk Island – overview of cases****
| Patients managed by HHS | Close Contacts in quarantine | ||||||
| Total in-patients | Virtual ward/ HITH/ similar | Total cases including recovered | Deaths | ||||
| Total | ICU patients | ||||||
| ICU not ventilated | ICU ventilated | ||||||
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 89 | 0 | 11 | |
*As at the above date
**Metro North Health has 29 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.