16 March 2021

Dear colleagues,

Metro North Health has been operating under moderate risk guidelines for the past 72 hours. Thanks for your cooperation with these requirements.

This morning, the Premier announced the declaration of restricted areas will remain in place for a further 72 hours.

This means visitor restrictions and the wearing of surgical masks and protective eyewear when required will continue until 12pm Friday (19 March).

Visitor restrictions also continue to apply to aged care homes, disability services and correctional centres will also continue until this time.

This declaration includes the City of Brisbane and Moreton Bay Regional Council areas, which covers all of Metro North Health.

Details on the PPE in a moderate risk environment are available in the Pandemic Response Guidance – Personal protective equipment in Healthcare delivery.

At this stage, there is no requirement to wear a mask in the community if you can reliably maintain 1.5 metres physical distance. In locations that distancing isn’t possible, such as public transport or at the supermarket, I would recommend wearing a mask.

As discussed in this morning’s Vidcast, Metro North has set up a generic email and phone number for staff having trouble registering for a COVID-19 vaccination. Contact COH-CCRS@health.qld.gov.au or phone 3647 6796.

Finally, we continue to support our Metro South colleagues as part of our emergency response framework. Metro North is leading the investigation into a recent increase in cases associated with the Hotel Grand Chancellor and the increased number of patient presentations.

A big thank you also to Metro North teams working in airport quarantine areas. Airport and hotel quarantine are priority areas at present to ensure patients with COVID-19 are isolated and receive appropriate care which avoids spread to the community.

I certainly appreciate your patience, support and commitment to care during this busy time.

Regards,

Dr Liz Rushbrook
Metro North Incident Controller