Dear Colleagues,

We’ve made it through yet another week of our COVID-19 preparation and response! To date, most of Queensland’s cases continue to be either people who have recently returned from overseas or have had close contact with those people.

This week’s expansions to our testing criteria and tweaking of case definitions will help us better identify and respond if or when there is an increase in community transmission in the weeks to come.

Just a few important things to highlight this Sunday:

• Call for blood donations
• Special shout out to our Emergency Operations Centre staff

Call for blood donations

Our friends at the Red Cross are calling on all Australians to continue to donate blood and plasma during this time (I’m an ABpos plasma gal). They are needing us now more than ever and want us to know that giving blood is considered essential in accordance with the Home Confinement, Movement and Gathering Direction.

This important reminder comes as they are experiencing more donors cancel their existing bookings to give blood. So, to help them maintain their life-giving reserves, please consider sparing some time to donate blood or plasma if or where you can, or encourage your family, friends and loved ones to do so. Criteria for donating hasn’t changed, so if you are healthy and haven’t been recently overseas or been confirmed with or in close contact with someone with confirmed or probable COVID-19, call into the Red Cross to ask about donating.

As always, you are unable to donate blood if you are unwell, even with mild respiratory infection symptoms. Visit the Red Cross Life Blood site for more information. 

Special shout out to our Emergency Operation Centres

Today, I want to give a special shout out to my colleagues working from the Metro North Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) and all of our facility EOCs. From clinical advisors, workplace planners, intelligence, planning, logistics (and many others), the people in these roles have shown nothing but expert guidance, willingness to change and adapt and true leadership.

Much of this work goes on behind-the-scenes, across long days and with the aid of copious amounts of coffee. While it has not been easy at times, there has been a shared understanding that we are all in this together and doing our absolute best! So thank you to all of you working in these roles for shaping what is Metro North’s strong preparedness for COVID-19.

Happy Sunday and I’m looking forward to another productive week ahead.

Regards,
Dr Liz Rushbrook
Metro North Health Incident Controller

Metro North HHS – Overview of Cases*

*With effect 1000 19 April 2020
**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