Dear colleagues,

It’s been a busy few days for our Public Health Officials with contact tracing now underway for two new cases around South Brisbane. I would like to acknowledge the commitment and tireless work of our Public Health Officials – thank you Public Health!  A very busy time for you all and please know that your work is highly valued and most appreciated.

With this new community transmission, I expect we will experience another spike in testing across Metro North. Rest assured, we are ready to meet this demand for testing and will closely monitor our fever clinics ensuring adequate staffing and resources. Metro North remains at our modified Tier One response are ready to stand up should the need arise.

New Case in Queensland

It seems our 30-day streak of 0 community transmissions in QLD is over with a confirmed case of COVID-19 in South Brisbane emerging today. The female patient is an employee of the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre who attended work while infectious. She is now quarantined and being monitored in a Metro South Hospital. Public Health are currently working with the patient to contact trace and all other staff and youths at the centre are being tested.

Please just make sure that if you have any of the symptoms for COVID-19 please stay home and get yourself tested.  The days of coming to work when you feel only “marginally” unwell are over.  Stay home and get tested and come to work when you have a negative result.  In doing this you will help keep Queenslanders safe and also ensure that any spread is minimised.

Additionally, a return traveller to Japan who was in Brisbane and transited through Sydney has also tested positive for COVID-19. A public health alert has been issues for anyone on Virgin Flight VA962 from Brisbane to Sydney on Monday 17 August 2020 and anyone who dined at the Jam Pantry Café at Greenslopes on Sunday 16 August. All passengers and diners should monitor their health for any COVID-19 symptoms.

Queensland borders

Boarder Restrictions Direction No.12 has been released. It has been updated to reflect the following change:

• You can enter Queensland from a hotspot for essential healthcare without an exemption when the health care cannot be provided in that hotspot.

The direction defines essential healthcare as any:

• Queensland Children’s Hospital appointment confirmed in writing by the hospital
• Appointment at a Queensland Hospital and Health Services or associated outreach location, confirmed in writing by the service
• Appointment at a licenses Queensland private health facility or ancillary clinic or service, confirmed in writing by the service or health practitioner
• Appointment at an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Health Service confirmed in writing by the service
• Appointment with a prescribed health practitioner at another premise, confirmed in writing by the provider.

You will be required to comply with quarantine requirements. If you are admitted to a hospital or other facility you will be able to quarantine at the facility. Otherwise, you will need to quarantine at a hotel at your own expense.

Changes have been made to the areas included in the border zone. A border zone resident is someone who lives in a community on the Queensland New South Wales border. This includes both sides of the border – people who live in Queensland but work or go to school in their neighbouring border town, or people who live in New South Wales but come to work or school in their neighbouring border town in Queensland. Border zone residents can cross the border for any purpose.

Remember, we as healthcare workers are not exempt from mandatory hotel quarantine should we wish to re-enter Queensland from a hotspot. My suggestion to all is to stay in Queensland… why would you want to be anywhere else?!

Have a great evening and remember you can “always be a rainbow in someone else’s cloud”.

Until tomorrow…

Stay safe, and happy and remember we are all in this together!!!!

Kind regards,
Alanna Geary
Metro North Incident Commander

Metro North HHS – Overview of Cases*

*With effect 20 August 2020, 1000

**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.

Dear colleagues,

Further to my earlier Health Incident Controller message I would also like to note that Border Direction No.12 defines essential health care as:

1. Essential health care means health care that cannot reasonably be obtained in a person’s place of residence that is:
   1. a Queensland Children’s Hospital appointment, confirmed in writing (DOCX 43 kB) by the hospital; or
   2. an appointment at a Queensland Hospital and Health Service or associated outreach location, confirmed in writing (DOCX 43 kB) by the service; or
   3. an appointment at a Queensland private health facility or an ancillary clinic or service, confirmed in writing (DOCX 43 kB) by the service; or
   4. an appointment at an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Health Service, confirmed in writing (DOCX 43 kB) by the service; or
   5. an appointment with a prescribed health practitioner at another premises, confirmed in writing (DOCX 43 kB) by the practitioner or provider.

Note: An appointment with a prescribed health practitioner may include services provided by a registered NDIS provider under an agreed NDIS Plan. An appointment at an ancillary clinic or service may include an appointment at a rehabilitation service.

Kind regards,
Alanna Geary
Metro North Incident Commander