21 September 2021
Dear colleagues,
Qld and NSW border concerns
Queensland recorded zero locally acquired cases of COVID-19 and one was detected in hotel quarantine in the past 24 hours.
Authorities do say they are concerned about a new COVID-19 case that had been infectious in the northern New South Wales region. Increased border restrictions will be reinstated for the local government areas (LGAs) of Byron Shire and Tweed Shire. They will become part of the restricted New South Wales border zone from 1 am Wednesday 22 September.
Border zone residents who have been to Byron and Tweed LGAs will only be allowed into Queensland for limited essential purposes.
To enter Queensland from an LGA within the border zone you must:
- complete a Queensland entry pass
- get tested if you develop any COVID-19 symptoms after arriving in Queensland
- monitor the list of interstate exposure venuesdaily (at least once every 24 hours) from the time you complete a declaration and for 14 days after arriving in Queensland
- comply with face mask requirements.
Anyone who is currently in Queensland but has visited the area in the past 14 days should get tested if they have symptoms and isolate until they receive a negative result.
Further to this, New South Wales authorities have announced the Byron, Kempsey and Tweed local government areas (LGAs) will be sent back into a seven-day lockdown from 5 pm today.
Contact tracing – Brisbane airport
New contact tracing sites have been added to Queensland’s list following a positive case who spent four hours at Brisbane’s airport will in transit to NT. Please ensure you are check this as soon as possible and follow instructions provided online.
Get vaccinated
Refer to Queensland Health’s website to find where you, your friends and your family can receive the COVID-19 vaccination. Registering online beforehand does help to save time but please note our clinics are available for walk-ins for staff.
Regards,
Louise O’Riordan
Metro North COVID-19 Health Incident Controller
Metro North remains on Tier 1
Despite this ease of restrictions, Metro North will continue to remain on Tier 1 in our COVID response plan and moderate risk PPE, with fever clinic staff and emergency department triage staff wearing P2/N95 masks. We will be assessing this status over the next few weeks.
PPE guidelines are online for healthcare delivery and for residential aged care and disability accommodation.
Helpful links
- Qld Health contact tracing list
- Register for your vaccine
- Qld Health general COVID-19 page
- Metro North COVID-19 extranet
Metro North HHS – overview of cases*
| HHS | Patients being managed by HHS | FEVER Clinics | ||||||||
| Total In-patients | Virtual Ward / HITH / or similar | Deaths
** |
Total cases managed by HHS (including recovered)
*** |
#
of clinics |
Presentations | |||||
| ICU Pts | ||||||||||
| ICU-NOT Ventilated | ICU-Ventilated | Yesterday | TOTAL^ | |||||||
| MN TOTAL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 788 | 3 | 348 | 240,634 | |
*As at 21/09/2021 at 1430
**Metro North Health has four recorded deaths (one person a return traveller into NSW, who passed away in NSW)
*** These numbers reflect the cases being managed by Metro North Health.