29 December 2021

29 December 2021

Dear colleagues,

In the past 24 hours, Queensland recorded 1589 new positive COVID-19 cases with the majority of these being the Omicron strain. Despite the substantial number of cases, there are still no COVID-19 patients in ICU or on a ventilator across the state.

Changes to testing requirements for travellers from interstate hotspots

Today the Queensland Government announced that from Saturday 1 January, travellers from interstate hotspots will no longer need to produce a negative PCR test to gain entry into Queensland.

Travellers can use a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) to satisfy border requirements. Travellers will still need to complete a border declaration attesting that they have completed a negative test.

Tier 3 (minus) – students and volunteers

Metro North remains in Tier 3 (minus). At this stage, students who are double vaccinated and can wear a P2/N95 mask can remain in the workplace. Students are to do a fit check of their mask, as they are not to have access to our fit testing at this point in time. The priority for fit testing is for our own staff.

Volunteers should not be in the workplace while we remain on Tier 3.

Routine screening of admitted inpatients

Access to limited volumes of RAT tests may assist us to implement risk screening for patients being admitted to hospital. We will encourage all patients with scheduled planned care to obtain a PCR or RAT test prior to admission where that is reasonable and safe. We are planning to implement RAT testing for selected higher risk patients on admission. More information about this will be provided over coming days once confirmed.

COVID leave entitlements

With many staff absent from the workplace due to COVID (either because of illness or quarantine), managers are asked to familiarise themselves with the Queensland Health COVID leave matrix available on QHEPS. This document outlines leave entitlements for staff. If you have any questions about this, please contact Metro North HR.

Metro North staff COVID swab collection service

As a reminder, the staff COVID swab collection service at the RBWH Education Centre is open from 9am to 4.15pm each weekday, including public holidays.

Any Metro North employee and their family can attend. The staff member must attend and bring staff ID and their Medicare card. Please note that this facility cannot process children aged under 12 years. This facility also cannot process staff from other HHS or private facilities.

Thank you to everyone who has sacrificed time with family and friends over this festive period to be at work.

Regards,

Michele Gardner  

Metro North Health Incident Controller  

_____________________________________________________________________

Helpful links

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	225	0	0	195	4	1103	3	2281	278096

*As at 29/12/21

**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.

Download a PDF version