{"id":3938,"date":"2020-08-31T08:47:23","date_gmt":"2020-08-30T22:47:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/metronorth.health.qld.gov.au\/extranet\/?p=3938"},"modified":"2020-08-31T08:47:24","modified_gmt":"2020-08-30T22:47:24","slug":"29-aug-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/metronorth.health.qld.gov.au\/extranet\/covid-ic\/29-aug-2020","title":{"rendered":"29 August 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"Metro<\/span><\/div>
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Dear colleagues,<\/p>\n

Overnight,\u00a0Queensland reported 4 additional cases\u00a0of COVID-19\u00a0who are all\u00a0linked\u00a0to the known\u00a0cases\u00a0from\u00a0Queensland Corrective Services Academy. This means Queensland now has 24 active cases, of which 19 are linked to the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre and the Queensland Corrective Services Academy\u00a0clusters.\u00a0Currently, we do not have any active cases in the Metro North catchment.<\/p>\n

These cases make this weekend\u00a0a critically important time\u00a0to keep up our physical distancing and hand hygiene practices.\u00a0Please keep in mind that we are\u00a0subject to the\u00a0movement and gathering restrictions<\/a>\u00a0at all times, and that the community really does look to healthcare workers to model the required behaviour.<\/p>\n

Updated\u202flist\u202fof venues<\/strong><\/p>\n

Overnight, Queensland Health has expanded its list of venues\u00a0that\u00a0confirmed COVID-19 cases have visited.\u00a0The updated list is available at:\u00a0https:\/\/www.qld.gov.au\/health\/conditions\/health-alerts\/coronavirus-covid-19\/current-status\/contact-tracing<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Please pay close attention to the new locations. If you have visited\u00a0any\u00a0location,\u00a0please follow the guidance on the website. In most occasions, if you have not otherwise been\u00a0contacted by Public Health, you will be considered a casual contact and therefore required to\u00a0closely monitor your symptoms, and come forward to be tested if\u00a0you develop\u00a0symptoms\u00a0\u2013 no matter how mild.<\/p>\n

As we learn more about today\u2019s cases, we will keep you updated as more venues are listed.<\/p>\n

Support persons for people attending appointment\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Many of you are familiar with the latest Hospital Visitors Direction<\/a> and have been supporting our patients to connect with their loved ones virtually. Thank you.<\/p>\n

For\u00a0people attending outpatient appointments\u00a0who require support, necessary support persons can attend this appointment with them\u00a0using the provision of \u2018other compassionate\u00a0grounds<\/em>\u2019.\u00a0 Examples include carers for people with impairment or disability\u00a0or a family member that is an interpreter.\u00a0 Contracted interpreter services are considered staff and able to attend for the purposes of interpreter services.<\/p>\n

If you are unsure if a visitor is allowed, please escalate the question to your Directorate EOC who will be happy to help.<\/p>\n

Please remember that all visitors, patients and people attending appointments will have to register upon arrival, and, of course, wear a flat surgical mask whilst they are in the hospital.<\/p>\n

Reminder: PPE for clinicians<\/strong><\/p>\n

We have answered many questions around PPE and masks this week in our\u00a0vidcasts. Thank you for your participation and\u00a0enthusiasm. One\u00a0question\u00a0that\u00a0continues to resurface is the PPE requirements for clinicians.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Director General \/ Chief Health Officer memo<\/a>\u00a0requires that if you are providing routine care within 1.5m of any\u00a0patient, you are to wear, at minimum,\u00a0a level 2 surgical mask and protective eyewear.\u00a0Protective eyewear can be worn continuously, even between patients,\u00a0so long as they are not soiled. If protective eyewear is removed, it should be cleaned (if reusable) or discarded.<\/p>\n

If you normally wear glasses, you need to wear protective eyewear over your glasses. There are many different types of protective eyewear that fit comfortably over glasses for you to use.<\/p>\n

If your protective eyewear is reusable, please clean them yourself and keep for use throughout the day before returning to centralised storage areas.<\/p>\n

Meetings<\/strong><\/p>\n

At the beginning of the week, we asked you to put all non-essential meetings\u00a0on hold, with all essential meetings\u00a0to be\u00a0delivered via Teams.\u00a0This ensures we are\u00a0in a position\u00a0to flex our response resources up to a higher state of readiness (for example, increased testing teams, support for\u00a0enhanced concierge, increased size of Incident Management Teams and so on).<\/p>\n

This requirement remains in force for Metro North and will be reviewed on Monday in consultation with Directorates. If you are not sure if your meeting should go ahead, please discuss with your EOC.<\/p>\n

Physical\u00a0distancing in common rooms<\/strong><\/p>\n

We are very aware of the challenges for physical distancing\u00a0in common rooms, like tea rooms. We are\u00a0working with the Directorates to\u00a0enable\u00a0suitable\u00a0additional\u00a0strategies\u00a0to help implement this –\u00a0such as staggering break times, encouraging use of alternate areas and \u2018thinning out\u2019 furniture.<\/p>\n

This requires all of us to cooperate and come up with some simple solutions.<\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t feel safe in a space,\u00a0I encourage you to\u00a0think through how\u00a0to\u00a0make this\u00a0safer\u00a0for\u00a0you and your\u00a0teammates.\u00a0Measure out the square meterage of your common\u00a0area and\u00a0discuss the requirements for your physical distancing with your line managers.<\/p>\n

There is some great signage on the\u00a0extranet<\/a>\u00a0for you to utilise in your work and common spaces.<\/p>\n

Vidcast<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you joined me this morning for the\u00a0vidcast<\/a>, you will have seen me broadcasting from the\u00a0hair\u00a0salon.\u00a0I had not realised that we were going to broadcast today and had not cancelled my most precious appointment \u2013 I would like to thank everyone who sent encouragement to me and my hairdresser to just \u2018roll with it\u2019. For those that missed it \u2013 here is the finished product:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

There will be another\u00a0vidcast\u00a0tomorrow\u00a0at 11am\u00a0and no, it won\u2019t be conducted from the salon.\u00a0I will be joining you again, as well as Chief Executive\u00a0Shaun\u00a0Drummond. By then,\u00a0I\u2019m sure we will have more to share with you about\u00a0the cases that emerged today.<\/p>\n

Enjoy this beautiful Winter\u2019s day in South East Queensland!<\/p>\n

Kind regards,
\nDr Elizabeth Rushbrook
\nMetro North Incident Commander<\/p>\n

Metro North HHS \u2013 Overview of Cases*<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

HHS<\/strong><\/td>\n

Patients being managed by HHS<\/strong><\/td>\nFEVER Clinics<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Total\u00a0In-patients<\/strong><\/td>\n\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Virtual Ward \/ HITH \/ or similar<\/strong><\/td>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Deaths<\/strong><\/p>\n

**<\/strong><\/td>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Total cases managed by HHS (including recovered)<\/strong><\/p>\n

***<\/strong><\/td>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

#<\/strong><\/p>\n

of clinics<\/strong><\/td>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Presentations<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\nICU Pts<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

ICU-NOT Ventilated<\/strong><\/td>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

ICU-Ventilated<\/strong><\/td>\n

Last 24 hrs<\/strong><\/td>\n\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

TOTAL^<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\u202f\u202fMN TOTAL<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n342<\/td>\n6<\/td>\n1036<\/td>\n75,797<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

*With effect 29 August 2020, 1000<\/p>\n

**Metro North has three\u00a0recorded deaths\u00a0(one person a return traveller into NSW, who passed away in NSW)<\/p>\n

*** These numbers reflect the cases being managed by Metro North.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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