COVID-19 update 364 | 25/02/2022
- Tier move next week
- Recovery planning
- Returning to work after international travel
Today there were reported 5440 new COVID cases in Queensland.
Tier move next week
We will be moving down to Tier 2 of our COVID response plan from 7am Monday 28 February. The Tier 2 plan will be available on Monday. I will provide details of what it includes.
Until then, we remain on Tier 3. Please note that the PPE requirements are not linked to our response tier and we are still in the high risk category of the Queensland PPE matrix. Please continue to wear the appropriate PPE for your type of work.
Recovery planning
We are starting our recovery planning work and will be undertaking a debrief across Metro North. This will include what we have learnt from the pandemic, new ways of working, and what hasn’t worked well.
This will also include winding back our COVID specific activity. The fever clinic at the RNA Showgrounds will be closing on Sunday 13 March. We are looking at how to increase access to rapid antigen test kits.
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.
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
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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 | ||||||
| 42 | 0 | 2 | 298 | 42 | 4 | 146 | |
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 | 9 | 109 | 0 | 1 | |
*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.