Message from the Metro North Health Incident Controller – COVID-19 & Influenza update 442 | 16/08/2022

Dear colleagues,

• Current situation
• Tier 2 move tomorrow
• Staff COVID vaccine boosters
• Register your booster
• Useful links

Current situation

We currently have 149 active cases of COVID in our care, including 87 inpatients with 4 in ICU (3 ventilated). There are 62 patients in the Virtual Ward, a decrease since last week.

Today 210 staff are away from work due to either being COVID positive or requiring isolation due to being a close contact. This number does not include other types of sick leave. We have returned 26 Critically Essential workers today.

Tier 2 planned move

As at 7am tomorrow, Wednesday 17 August, Metro North will move to Tier 2 in our COVID and Influenza Response Plan. We will also move to moderate PPE.

This includes:

• P2/N95 and protective eyewear when treating patients with COVID-19 or close contacts, including in Emergency Departments and COVID units
• Flat surgical mask in all other areas, including non-clinical areas
• Provide new and review outpatient consultations for all categories
• Provide category 1 and 4, and long wait surgeries and procedures for other categories, focusing on day/23-hour admissions until 4 September
• Prioritise new appointments for long wait category 1 & 4 outpatients
• Optimise virtual outpatient care where possible
• Optimise virtual meetings. Face-to-face meetings only where essential, flat surgical masks required
• Optimise virtual training. Face-to-face only where essential for mandatory training (e.g. OVP, BLS, ALS), flat surgical masks required.

Under the Chief Health Officer’s Public Health Face Mask Requirements Direction (No. 5), masks are still required indoors for hospitals and healthcare settings, residential aged care and disability accommodation facilities, corrective services facilities, and on public transport.

Staff COVID vaccine boosters

We are running a staff only booster blitz across Metro North this week from Tuesday 16 to Friday 19 August (Pfizer vaccine only).

Please see below for facility specific details:

You can make a booking for any of these sites.

If you are unable to make one of these sessions, vaccinations are widely available in the community through pharmacies and GPs.

Please ensure you bring your Medicare card with you and are eligible for a booster dose.

Register your booster

Registering your COVID-19 vaccine third and fourth doses is quick and easy:

• Download your COVID digital certificate from your myGov account
• Go to the COVID-19 Vaccination Hub
• Choose the +Booster Vaccination option
• Add your booster details (plus relevant evidence if you use a different name outside of work, eg marriage certificate)
• Upload or drag and drop your certificate
• Save

You can also submit a paper form if you can’t upload to the COVID vaccination hub during work hours. The form can be submitted to MN-COVID-Staff-Vaccination-Forms-only@health.qld.gov.au with a copy of your vaccination evidence.

If you’re not sure whether you have already updated your information, you can check under the personal profile section of myHR.

Useful links

• Find a PCR test provider (including drive through, bulk bill, four-plex) on the Queensland Government website. The site also includes locations for RAT kits for eligible commonwealth concession card holders.

• People with respiratory symptoms can make an appointment (often same day) through GP Respiratory Clinics.
• You can find a COVID vaccine provider using the Department of Health COVID Vaccine Clinic Finder website.

Your GP can also provide:

• COVID-19 vaccination
• Referral for COVID-19 and other respiratory virus PCR
• Assessment and management of COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses
• Prescription of COVID-19 oral antivirals for eligible COVID-19 positive patients.

Regards,

Louise O’Riordan
Metro North Health Incident Controller