COVID-19 update 363 | 24/02/2022
- Masks at work
- Returning to work after international travel
- Wellbeing resources
- Register your booster
Today there were 6094 reported new COVID cases in Queensland.
The good news is that despite the community case levels being relatively stable, the number of people with COVID in our care and the number of staff in isolation have both reduced.
Tomorrow we will confirm whether we will move from Tier 3 in our COVID response plan next week. I will let you know what that will include tomorrow.
Masks at work
In today’s vidcast there were some questions about the relaxation of mandatory masks in the community from 4 March. Staff and visitors in healthcare facilities will still be required to wear a mask.
It’s also important to remember that even when Metro North moves down to Tier 2 of our COVID response plan, the PPE requirements may not change. Metro North follows the statewide PPE guidelines and we are currently in the PPE high risk category.
Please continue to wear the PPE identified for your type of work in the PPE matrix.
Returning to work after international travel
A reminder than under Hospital Entry Direction (No.11) people returning from overseas cannot enter a hospital or healthcare facility in the first 14 days unless they have an exemption. This includes healthcare staff.
To apply for an exemption, please follow these steps:
- Submit your exemption request via the Queensland Government exemptions
- Choose the ‘General exemption from a health direction’ option (do not choose ‘specialist/essential worker’)
- Email the details of your request and your application reference number (RITM) to your directorate EOC, including your proposed return to work date. This will be provided to Metro North EOC.
- Metro North EOC will liaise with Health Directions and communicate the application outcome as soon as it is known.
Wellbeing resources
Wellbeing resources are available to staff on the extranet site where you will find resources and support.
The Culture and Wellbeing team also have some upcoming Maintaining Morale sessions:
| Expressing gratitude | Monday 28th Feb
10:00 – 10:20am |
Click here to join the meeting |
| Positivity and Joy | Monday 7th March
10:00 – 10:20am |
Click here to join the meeting |
Register your booster
Information about fit testing and staff testing locations is available on the COVID extranet. The locations of vaccination clinics and pop up sites is available online.
Kind regards,
Louise O’Riordan
Metro North Health Incident Controller
_____________________________________________________________________
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 | 1 | 285 | 40 | 4 | 212 | |
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 | 17 | 115 | 0 | 14 | |
*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.