![\"Metro](\"https:\/\/metronorth.health.qld.gov.au\/extranet\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/04\/mn-health-incident-controller2.jpg\" "\\"Metro")
<\/span><\/div>Dear colleagues,<\/p>\n
Today\u00a0the Chief Health Officer announced a lifting of some restrictions\u00a0in\u00a0the Brisbane Metro and West Moreton areas after\u00a0Queensland\u00a0reached 14 days of no community transmission. Firstly, I\u00a0would\u00a0like to say well done! As Queenslanders, we\u2019ve worked together to keep each other safe and you should all be proud of contributing to this success. Although we are not out of the woods entirely, it\u2019s nice to celebrate this\u00a0small yet\u00a0significant\u00a0win.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Secondly,\u00a0I wanted to provide\u00a0clarification\u00a0around\u00a0the CHO\u2019s\u00a0announcement\u00a0as it\u00a0impacts the way we operate as a Hospital and Health Service.\u00a0<\/p>\n
- \n
- Changes to\u00a0visitor restrictions\u00a0<\/li>\n
- Changes to\u00a0PPE Requirements\u00a0<\/li>\n
- Students in Emergency Departments<\/li>\n
- Border changes\u00a0<\/li>\n
- Travellers from previous hotspots\u00a0<\/li>\n
- Other\u00a0updates\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Changes to\u00a0visitor restrictions\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n
Today the CHO announced that as of 1 am\u00a0tomorrow\u00a025 September 2020,\u00a0Brisbane will no longer be classified as a restricted local government area. What this means is that we can now return to the\u00a0Hospital Visitors Direction (No. 6)<\/a>\u00a0which\u00a0allows:\u00a0<\/p>\n
- \n
- A maximum of two\u00a0visitors may visit a patient at one time, at any time within a facility\u2019s visiting hours, for any length of time.\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n
- Example: A pregnant patient\u2019s partner and the patient\u2019s support person may visit at the same time during the patient\u2019s labour.\u00a0<\/li>\n
- For end of life visits, more than two visitors may visit a patient at one time.\u00a0<\/li>\n
- Note – all visitors remain subject to each hospital\u2019s clinical guidelines for COVID-19. These clinical guidelines may be more restrictive than this direction, for example, in relation to the number and type of visitors.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The Metro North\u00a0Strategic Executive Team (SET)\u00a0will meet tomorrow morning to discuss what these changes mean for facilities across Metro North. These discussions will include:\u00a0<\/p>\n
- \n
- The continuation of concierge services (signing in and out)\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
As soon as we finalise the new visitor policy for Metro North, we will provide an update.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Changes to increased requirement of PPE<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n
As of 1 am Friday,\u00a0we will resume to normal\u00a0use of PPE \u2013 this means that you are not required to wear a mask if you are in a clinical setting, but only if required\u00a0to do so\u00a0as per your normal work duties and in keeping with Standard Precautions and Infection Control practice.\u00a0You can continue to wear a mask if you choose, but you must wear\u00a0those supplied\u00a0by Metro North. Please do not bring in your own masks from home.\u00a0Visitors\u00a0will be permitted to wear a mask of their own if they choose to do so.\u00a0This change can go ahead as of 1 am tomorrow.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
As you know there was an additional level of PPE requirement for Emergency Departments and community home visiting.\u00a0Please know that the PPE restrictions are now the same as all other clinical units and there will be no longer a\u00a0requirement for additional PPE.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Students in Emergency Departments<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n
Students may return to Emergency Departments from Monday 28 September 2020.\u00a0The same requirements for PPE\u00a0will be in place for them as is for all other staff in the department.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Border changes<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n
As of yesterday, the\u00a0Border Direction<\/a>\u00a0will now:\u00a0<\/p>\n
- \n
- allow New South Wales border zone residents to travel anywhere in Queensland for informal shared parenting arrangements, without quarantining. Similarly, Queensland residents can travel to the New South Wales border zone for this purpose and re-enter Queensland without quarantining\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n
- introduce a new \u2018H\u2019 category for the border declaration pass for people coming to Queensland for day health appointments\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n
- make the use of the\u00a0approved Queensland Health approved essential health care form<\/a>\u00a0mandatory for private health practitioners providing health care to people entering Queensland from hotspots.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Travellers from previous hotspots<\/strong>\u00a0
Anyone may enter Queensland from a place that is no longer a declared COVID-19 hotspot. You can enter Queensland even if you have been in a previously declared COVID-19 hotspot in the last 14 days. The Australian Capital Territory is planned to no longer be a hotspot from 1 am 25 September.\u00a0<\/p>\nOther updates<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n
- The continuation of concierge services (signing in and out)\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n