04 July 2021

Good afternoon colleagues,

Some reassuring news today for our hospital services with the second reported staff case of COVID-19 at The Prince Charles Hospital identified as the Alpha strain likely via community transmission. I am awed by the amazing amount of work undertaken behind the scenes to ensure we have been able to control the situation. 

Thank you to the all the staff involved, there have been a couple of extremely late nights and early mornings for many that were involved.   

I know that the message on Saturday afternoon was very detailed, but it was necessary following the lifting of lockdown. There was a lot of information to digest so I will recap this important messaging briefly. 

Metro North Health remains at a Tier One response as detailed in our pandemic response plan. 

For Metro North Health staff, please continue to use appropriate PPE and wear masks everywhere you can’t social distance whether indoors or outdoors. 

Continue to use the Check In Qld app, this will be mandatory at the end of the week for our visitors and contractors, but I ask that all staff as a priority use the app when you are entering a health facility or onsite commercial premises. Being able to identify where you were and when is vital in situations of contact tracing and will ensure we are able to quickly narrow down who does and who does not need to quarantine should a case inadvertently be in your workplace whilst infectious..  

Check the contact tracing exposure site regularly, as new sites are being updated each day. 

Continue to remain vigilant, maintain physical distancing and practice good hand hygiene.   

Of high importance – Get tested if you have symptoms of COVID-19 no matter how mild, and isolate until you have a negative result. Don’t come to work if you are sick.  

All non-essential staff from the RBWH or The Prince Charles Hospital (this does not include the Chermside Community Health Centre) should consider working from home if this is appropriate and staff are set up to do so. 

Please seek further advice and approval from your supervisor in the first instance. 

While visitor restrictions remains, screening of patients and visitors remains a priority activity. During this time we must be actively screening all staff and visitors who are entering any of our hospitals or community facilities for COVID-19 symptoms. 

Thank you all for your hard work. 

Kind regards,

Dr Liz Rushbrook
Metro North Incident Controller

Metro North HHS – overview of cases*

*As at 04/07/2021 at 1000

**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.