COVID-19 update 322 | 14/01/2022
Louise O’Riordan Metro North Health Incident Controller
Dear colleagues,
- Domestic border restrictions
- COVID Virtual Ward
- Fit testing and PPE
- HR advice and entitlements
- Staff testing & RAT collection
- Vaccinations for children aged 5-11
Today there are 23,630 reported new cases of COVID-19 in Queensland.
Domestic border restrictions
From 1am Saturday 15 January the restrictions will lift for domestic travellers entering Queensland from a hotspot. Anyone entering Queensland from another state will no longer need to provide a negative rapid antigen test or border pass. Restrictions remain in place for international travellers.
COVID Virtual Ward
As daily COVID cases increase our COVID Virtual Ward is caring for more patients. This is a significant piece of work that ensures our hospital beds are available for the sickest patients.
Thank you to all the areas which have released staff to work in the virtual ward.
Staff who would like to be considered for redeployment to support the COVID response can complete the expression of interest online.
Fit testing and PPE
Staff who have not yet been fit tested or who have been tested for only one mask should attend a local fit testing location. The aim is for staff to have two properly fit tested masks in the event your preferred mask is not available. This includes non-clinical staff who may attend clinical areas.
Please make sure you’re aware of the high risk PPE requirements for your area.
HR advice and entitlements
The HR hotline is operating 7 days from 8am to 5pm on 07 3646 5500 providing advice on returning to work and employee entitlements.
Please see the leave entitlement flowcharts on the COVID extranet to determine what type of leave you can access if you are out of the workplace as a close contact or if you have COVID-19:
- Employee leave options due to COVID for permanent and fixed-term temporary, full-time and part-time employees (current at 7 January 2022)
- Leave options for employees with COVID-19 infection – employee with positive COVID-19 test or possible COVID-19 infection (current at 7 January 2022)
Staff testing and RAT kits
Dedicated staff COVID-19 testing centres are available at:
- TPCH located in Outpatients B (former Children’s Outpatients Department), 7 days, 7am to 2pm (public fever clinic open 8.30am to 4pm, 7 days)
- Caboolture Hospital staff carpark, 7 days, 7.30am to 3.30pm (the staff car park is open for all Metro North staff accessing the clinic)
- RBWH Education Centre, Monday to Friday, 9am to 4.15pm
Eligible staff may be able to collect a rapid antigen test from:
- Brighton Health Campus wellness centre, Monday to Friday 9am – 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 to your colleagues working at these collection points.
Report positive RAT results via the Queensland Health RAT portal. You do not need to report your positive RAT if you have had a PCR test as these are already recorded.
Vaccination for children aged 5-11
Our Kippa Ring children’s vaccination clinic is operating 7 days with appointments between 8.20am and 3.50pm. The clinic also has capacity for walk ins. We are planning to ramp up our family vaccination opportunities in the next few weeks.
Vaccinations for people aged 12 and up are available at Caboolture Square, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, and Brighton Health Campus. Locations and times are available on the Queensland Health vaccination site.
Thank you and enjoy your 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 | Total^ | |||||
| ICU not ventilated | ICU ventilated | ||||||
| 106 | 2 | 5 | 663 | 5 | 7 | 1880 | |
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 | 49 | 80 | 0 | 26 | |
*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.