COVID-19 update 356 | 17/02/2022
Dear colleagues,
- Children and family vaccinations
- Fit testing
- PCR and RAT services
Today there were 5665 reported new COVID cases in Queensland.
Thanks to everyone who tuned into this morning’s vidcast with me and Jason Brown. COVID vidcast recordings are available on QHEPS.
There were a few questions about overseas travel. Unfortunately, the instructions Quarantine for International Arrivals Direction (No. 21) have not yet been updated since 28 January to reflect the changes expect to come into force from February 22. My suggestion is to check the above link next week to get the best available information.
We also had a few questions about the process to transfer care participants to Wellcamp. All transfers will be through your local Emergency Operation Centre.
Children and family vaccinations
Since January we have provided more than 10450 paediatric vaccinations at our clinics and pop up sites.
This week we’ve had clinics at a number of primary schools and will also have some high school weekend pop ups including:
| Morayfield State School 196-230 Morayfield Rd Morayfield Date: Sat 19 Feb Time: 9:00-1500 |
Caboolture Show Grounds 140 Beerburrum Rd, Caboolture Date: Sun 20 Feb Time: 0900-1500 |
| Tangalooma Island Resort Tangalooma, Moreton Island QLD Date: Mon 21 Feb, 15:00-20:00 Date: Tue 22 Feb, 7:00-11:00 |
Woodford State School 171 Archer St, Woodford Date: Sat 26 Feb and Sun 27 Feb Time: 9:00-1500 |
You can find your nearest vaccination clinic via the Queensland Health vaccination locations page.
If you received your second vaccination three or more months ago, you are eligible to get your booster at any of Metro North’s COVID vaccine clinics, or by making an appointment with your GP or local pharmacy.
Don’t forget to register booster by following the instructions on the extranet.
Fit testing
Metro North Health remains committed to prioritising fit testing for all our frontline staff. Please check the fit testing schedule on the extranet for local information.
If you have any concerns about fit testing, you can submit them via the fit testing feedback portal. Urgent issues should be escalated to your supervisor and local EOC for resolution.
New staff who have been fit tested in another HHS can record your fit testing results directly to TMS including the masks you that are a successful fit. Instructions on how to add a completed course are available on QHEPS. Line managers can then approve the completed course in TMS.
Line managers can also add fit testing results on behalf of their staff using the instructions on QHEPS.
PCR and RAT services
For the latest opening staff testing hours and locations please visit the Metro North extranet. Please bring your staff ID and Medicare cards.
A full list of alternate COVID-19 testing services open to the public is updated daily and can be found on the Queensland Health fever clinic site. Staff can also visit any of these sites.
Kind regards,
Mark Butterworth
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 | Yesterday | |||||
| ICU not ventilated | ICU ventilated | ||||||
| 47 | 4 | 3 | 338 | 35 | 6 | 273 | |
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 | 11 | 98 | 0 | 6 | |
*As at the above date
**Metro North Health has 35 recorded deaths (one person a return traveller into NSW, who passed away in NSW)
*** 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.