Dear colleagues,

There is nothing worse than a broken record but it’s great to be sharing consistent good news – no new cases were recorded overnight in Queensland! As many of us are on the eve of a long weekend, please don’t be lured into a false sense of security. Maintain a physical distance of 1.5 m  from each other, wash your hands regularly, and please stay at home if you’re sick! There’s nothing wrong with binge watching some TV for a few days to get over your symptoms. It is also great rest and relaxation!!!  Play board games with your family, bake a cake or just spend some time with loved ones. Great way to spend a few days. For those of you who are working, please know that we are most grateful, and we hope that the weekend is not too busy.

We work in the biggest HHS in the country and by default I would suggest probably if not the busiest, then certainly close to I, so make sure that you take the opportunity for some downtime where possible.

You might have seen on the news that Victoria recorded 278 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours. Even though this is still a high number, it’s a little lower than what it’s been in the last few days. Our thoughts are with everyone in Victoria during this time and we are all hoping this daily number continues to decline.

I have a family member (my brother in law) who despite being relatively young, 52 is highly compromised due to some longstanding health issues and I worry every day for his him my sister and their teenage children. I know that many of you have loved ones south of the border as well, so let us continue to think positive thoughts and hopefully our southern states will turn the corner very soon.

Fever clinics – public holiday

The Nundah and Kenmore testing clinics will be closed tomorrow on the public holiday. If you or someone you know needs a COVID-19 test over the long weekend, please visit the Queensland Health Testing and Fever Clinics page to find what clinics near you will be open.

Our testing clinics across Metro North continue to test a steady number of people. If you’re working at a clinic over the long weekend to help our community, thank you!!  Your hard work and commitment are not going unnoticed.

COVID-19 communications

My fellow Incident Command Liz Rushbrook and I have decided not to distribute any communications over the long weekend unless there is anything in the news or updates that we need to share with you. You know what they say, no news is good news!

Please know that if anything changes, we will certainly communicate as per our usual communication channels. We aim to keep everyone as informed as possible, and if there is anything that you think we should be communicating to you or you wish to seek further information advice, please do not hesitate to drop us an email or discuss with your line managers.

I will be on call tomorrow and plan to spend a few hours with my MN EOC colleagues tomorrow here in MN to ensure that we maintain vigilance on the current situation and can meet any potential challenges or situations that arise. Liz will be available on Saturday and Sunday, so please know we have it covered, and we are ready to act in the event of any changes in the current COVID-19 situation.

On that note can I just give a huge shut out to everyone who over the preceding months and currently who is or has been part of the EOC’s across MN. The amount of work put in by so many people has been outstanding.  Well done and thank you!!!

Have fun, stay safe and relax over the next few days! 

Kind regards,
Alanna Geary
Metro North Incident Commander

Metro North HHS – Overview of Cases*

*With effect 12 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.