Message from the Metro North Health Incident Controller – COVID-19 update 387 | 8/04/2022

Dear colleagues,

• Current Tier 3 situation
• Visitor requirements
• Flu vaccination
• Mask requirements
• Record your booster

There are 10,092 new COVID cases reported in Queensland.

Current Tier 3 situation

Metro North currently has 929 staff out of the workplace due to either being close contacts or COVID positive. This is in addition to other sick leave and planned school holiday leave.

Metro North is currently caring for 829 patients, including 87 inpatients with 5 in ICU. We are working to create more inpatient capacity for COVID patients in our acute facilities.

We remain on Tier 3 of our COVID-19 response plan. This means a significant reduction in planned care and the suspension of face to face meetings. Please review the Tier 3 plan for more details.

Visitor requirements

There are still visitor requirements for most facilities. It is important that visitors enter through the main entrances, not through staff entrances.

Please be mindful that some people are following staff through staff only doors. If someone without a staff access card tries to follow you through a staff only door, please politely direct them to the nearest public entrance (unless it is a medical emergency).

Flu vaccination

Metro North’s annual influenza vaccination program will start from 26 April.

Advice from Queensland Health is there is no minimum interval between influenza and COVID vaccination. COVID vaccines can be co-administered with other vaccinations, so you can get the flu vaccine at the same time.

After two years of border closures and heightened hand and respiratory hygiene, it is important this year to get both your flu vaccine and COVID booster when you’re eligible.

Mask requirements

Face masks and PPE at our facilities are still very much mandatory.

Please note that even though there are some restrictions lifting next Thursday, the following face mask wearing rules are still in place:

• Masks are required in healthcare settings, residential aged care, disability accommodation, on public transport, in prisons, detention centres, airports and on planes
• Masks are required for visitors to healthcare settings, but mask may be removed while undergoing a face-to-face service (as determined by healthcare provider)
• Masks are required on public transport or its platform/ terminal, or when in or waiting for a taxi, rideshare vehicle or commercial shuttle.

Record your booster

Evidence of you COVID vaccine booster can be uploaded to the Queensland Health COVID-19 Vaccination Hub easily:

• Download your COVID digital certificate from your myGov account
• Go to the COVID-19 Vaccination Hub
• Choose the +Booster Vaccination option
• Add your booster details
• Upload or drag and drop your certificate
• Save

Find your nearest clinic on the Queensland Health website including school holiday pop ups.

Kind regards,

Louise O’Riordan
Metro North Health Incident Controller

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Helpful links

• Register your positive RAT result
• Upload evidence of your vaccine or booster
• Vaccination locations
• Qld Health general COVID-19 page
• Metro North COVID-19 extranet
• COVID vidcast recordings on QHEPS

Metro North HHS – overview of cases*

Norfolk Island – overview of cases***

*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.