SearchCOVID-19: GP Alert (23 August 2020)
August 23, 2020
Epidemiology as at 9pm 22 August 2020
There were 9 new COVID-19 cases in Queensland in the last 24 hours: 4 in Metro South HHS, 2 in West Moreton HHS and 3 from cargo ships. This brings the total number of active cases to 15.
UPDATED - PPE Escalation Healthcare Facilities Appendix
The PPE escalation Healthcare Facilities Appendix was recently updated. Page 3, Table 1 provides the current recommendations. Please note that for general practice and routine care, the current risk estimate is ‘low’. Accordingly, the recommendation for the routine care of non-COVID-19 patients is ‘standard precautions +/- transmission-based precautions if indicated for another reason.’
Appendix 6 - PPE escalation Healthcare Facilities
NEW – Additional restrictions for Queensland announced
As a result of this growing cluster, facilities in Greater Brisbane including the Local Government Areas (LGAs) of City of Brisbane, City of Ipswich, Logan City, Scenic Rim Region, Somerset Region, Lockyer Valley Region, Moreton Bay Region, Redlands City will take additional measures:
- Update to the Movement and Gathering Direction (No 3): restrict public gatherings and gatherings in home to 10 people in the above LGAs.
- Update to the Aged Care Direction: reimplement restrictions on public and private residential aged care facilities in the above LGAs.
- Update to the Hospital Visitors Direction (No 6): No visitors to public or private hospitals unless permitted by the facility in the above LGAs.
- New Direction: Disability Accommodation Services Direction restrict visitor access to disability and congregate living facilities in the above LGAs (these services should activate COVID plans where they have them including the use of PPE where appropriate).
For the remaining LGAs in Queensland, public gatherings and gatherings in homes will be restricted to 30 people.
From 1:00am Thursday. 20 August there have been changes to the border restrictions in line with the Border Restrictions Direction (No.12). View the overview of the changes including those impacting essential healthcare.
Contact tracing information
Please be aware of the recent locations that COVID-19 positive patients have been to from the Health Alerts on Queensland health website. You may want to consider adding this to your triage questions at reception.
Access contact tracing health alerts here
Reminder for your patients and staff
- If you are sick with symptoms of COVID-19 please get tested and stay at home until your test returns a negative result.
- Regularly wash your hands and disinfect your phone.
- Maintain physical distancing.
