COVID-19 update 366 | 27/02/2022
Dear colleagues,
- Flooding update: code brown
- Staff unable to work
- Work from home arrangements tomorrow
Flooding update: code brown
All Metro North facilities are managing acute issues due to flooded roads. The whole of Metro North is now activated to STAND UP for the severe weather event (CODE BROWN). Our hospital and HHS Incident Management Teams (IMT) are active and are working through the operational needs of our facilities as we speak. Impacted services to note include:
- Fever Clinics at TPCH and RBWH (RNA showgrounds) are closed today. Redcliffe Hospital Fever Clinic remains operational.
- Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) will be available from hospital emergency departments as required
- All vaccination clinics will be closed today and tomorrow. The school vaccination program will be suspended for Monday and Tuesday
- Planned care (non-urgent elective surgery, procedures and outpatients) will be postponed for tomorrow, Monday 28th Where possible, virtual care should be put in place. This will ensure we are able to support our patients to remain safe during the acute phase of this extreme weather event
Clinical and clinical support staff unable to get to work
Healthcare is an essential industry. This means that we need to keep our services open. Clinical and clinical support staff should attend their work as rostered if they are able to do so. If you are unable to access your place of employment for your rostered shift, please notify your supervisor as soon as practical who will work with your local EOC to support your situation. We will arrange for you to work at another facility if appropriate. Alternatively you may be approved to work from home or access leave. You can find more information on flood leave here.
Work from home arrangements tomorrow
Non-clinical staff who can work from home are encouraged to do so tomorrow. Those who have clinical currency should first check in with their supervisor to see if temporary redeployment is needed. We will reassess if there is a need to extend working from home arrangements on Monday.
Where can I find out more?
- For emergency storm and flood response, phone theSES on 132 500. If you are in a life threatening emergency, always call Triple Zero (000) first.
- Weather updates and warnings are available from http://www.bom.gov.au/qld/warnings/
- For road closures, these are useful links:
- Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads QLD traffic website:
- RACQ Road Conditions website
- For the Moreton Bay Council area visithttps://moretonbay.qld.gov.au/roadconditions/
- The Queensland Government disaster webpage provides a range of information, including traffic updates and alerts, road and school closures, emergency alerts and emergency assistance. Visithttp://www.qldalert.com/
- For general information about emergencies and what’s happening in your area, visitABC Emergency
- Information about power outages is available athttps://www.energex.com.au/home/power-outages
Please share this information with colleagues who may not have email access.
The situation constantly developing and we will keep you updated. Please avoid unnecessary travel, stay safe and stay dry!
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 | ||||||
| 47 | 0 | 2 | 308 | 42 | 4 | 144 | |
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.