Acute Respiratory Illness Response<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n Dear colleagues,<\/p>\n We currently have 151 active cases of COVID in our care, including 85 inpatients with 6 in ICU (3 ventilated). It\u2019s worth noting that many of our inpatients with COVID have been admitted for other reasons and have incidental COVID. There are 66 patients in the Virtual Ward, the lowest number we\u2019ve seen.<\/p>\n Today 313 staff are away from work due to either being COVID positive or requiring isolation due to being a close contact. This number does not include other types of sick leave.<\/p>\n If the downward trend in active cases in our care and staff away from work continue, we are planning to move to Tier 2 in our COVID and Influenza Response Plan next Wednesday.<\/p>\n This will mean recommencing outpatient care (both in person and virtual), category 1 elective surgery and category 4 endoscopies, and long waits for all other categories. I will confirm on Tuesday with more details.<\/p>\n Until then, Metro North remains in Tier 3 of our COVID-19 and Influenza Response Plan.<\/p>\n We are running a staff only booster blitz across Metro North from 16-19 August (Pfizer only).<\/p>\n Please see below for facility specific details:<\/p>\n![\"Message](\"https:\/\/metronorth.health.qld.gov.au\/extranet\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/07\/ic-banner-ari.jpg\" "\\"ic-banner-ari\\"")
<\/span><\/div>Message from the Metro North Health Incident Controller – COVID-19 & Influenza update 440 | 12\/08\/2022<\/strong><\/h1><\/div>
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Current situation<\/h3>\n
Tier 2 planned move<\/h3>\n
Staff COVID vaccine boosters<\/h3>\n