Message from the Metro North Health Incident Controller – COVID-19 update 396 | 22/04/2022
Dear colleagues,
- Current situation
- Close contact restrictions
- International arrival restrictions
- Staff testing
There are 8080 new COVID cases reported in Queensland.
Current situation
We currently have 579 COVID patients in our care, including 91 inpatients with 4 in ICU. The numbers are gradually declining.
Today we still have 688 staff out of the workplace either as close contacts or COVID positive. We continue to work through the Critically Essential Worker process to bring people back when possible.
Metro North is still in Tier 4 of our COVID response plan.
We will move to Tier 3 from 7am Tuesday 26 April, after the long weekend. This means an increase in planned care and some face-to-face training and meetings will resume.
Close contact restrictions
From 6pm Thursday 28 April, quarantine requirements for close contacts are being removed.
A close contact of a COVID-19 case can go about their daily lives provided they:
- Have no COVID-19 symptoms
- Test negative every second day for a week from the day of becoming a close contact (days 0, 2, 4 and 6)
- Wear a mask outside of home for 7 days, indoors and outside where you can’t socially distance
- Don’t visit any vulnerable settings for 7 days (hospitals and aged care facilities)
- Let their employer know they are a close contact, and work from home if possible.
Please note, as all Metro North facilities are considered vulnerable, we will continue work through the Critically Essential Worker requirements for returning close contact staff to work.
Anyone who has any COVID-19 symptoms must isolate at home until symptoms resolve, even if they test negative on a RAT.
International arrival restrictions
Also from 6pm Thursday 28 April, quarantine requirements for international arrivals (vaccinated and unvaccinated) will be lifted, provided they:
- Have no COVID-19 symptoms
- Test negative within 24 hours of arriving, or if any symptoms develop
- Don’t visit any vulnerable settings for 7 days (hospitals or aged care facilities)
Anyone who has any COVID-19 symptoms must isolate at home until symptoms resolve, even if they test negative on a RAT.
Metro North staff must get approval from your local incident controller (via your EOC) to return to work within the first 7 days of returning from overseas.
Staff testing clinics
If you have any COVID symptoms, please get tested.
Staff can access PCR tests at TPCH and Redcliffe fever clinics. Other sites have RAT kits available.
Details of where to get a COVID test are available on the COVID extranet.
Regards,
Louise O’Riordan
Metro North Health Incident Controller
_____________________________________________________________________
Current Metro North Health tier activated – Tier 4
Helpful links
- Register your positive RAT result
- Upload evidence of your vaccine or booster
- Vaccination locations
- 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 | ||||||
| 91 | 0 | 4 | 488 | 63 | 3 | 165 | |
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 | 33 | 236 | 0 | 9 | |
*As at the above date
**Metro North Health has 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.