11 October 2021

Dear colleagues

There has been some confusion about face mask requirements for staff. To clarify, this is the information about the mask direction on the Queensland Health website: 

Outdoors 

You must wear a face mask outdoors in impacted areas when you are unable to stay 1.5 metres away from people who are not from your household. You must also wear a face mask at public transport waiting areas or taxi ranks and in outdoor workplaces. Masks do not have to be worn if: 

• you are seated 
• you are alone or with the members of your household 
• you are eating or drinking 
• you are entering or exiting a Sports Stadium 
• you are participating in strenuous exercise 
• it is unsafe to wear a mask. 

Indoors 

You must wear a face mask at all times when you are indoors, including workplaces when you are unable to stay 1.5 metres away from people who are not from your household unless: 

• you are seated 
• you are at your residence 
• you are eating or drinking 
• you are a patron inside a hospitality venue such as a café or restaurant 
• it is unsafe to wear a mask. 

To be clear, if you are moving around at work, you should be wearing a mask. If in doubt, wear a face mask. 

You must also carry a facemask at all times.  

Unvaccinated staff 

Additionally, staff who have not had a COVID-19 vaccination and have applied for an exemption must wear PPE at the level higher than the general PPE risk matrix requirement.  

Currently, health services are on low risk PPE, which means unvaccinated staff must wear PPE in line with the moderate risk PPE requirements in the PPE matrix.  

The PPE risk level is the minimum requirement while at work. Where a Chief Health Officer direction requires a higher level of PPE, such as the facemasks direction, this takes precedence.  

For all clinical care please wear a mask and refer to the low risk PPE matrix. 

While community case numbers have declined, staff should continue to practice social distancing, hand hygiene, get tested if you have any symptoms and continue to monitor the contact tracing website.  

Regards,

Louise O’Riordan 
Metro North Health Incident Controller 

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*

*As at 11/10/2021 at 1000
**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.