Prepared for a second wave
DOCTORS believe that Queensland hospitals are better placed to treat a second wave of COVID-19 patients than when the first wave hit.
The Australian Medical Association of Queensland also believes that after having six months to prepare the state is in a good position.
“Our frontline health workers are well-trained in the correct use of personal protective equipment and we are being told by Queensland Health that the stocks are adequate,” president Dr Chris Perry said. carers needed them constantly even before the coronavirus because he was suspectible to contracting health issues.
The tech-industry worker said she also had to obtain a NSW pass because limited flights meant she stopped over in Sydney. “It’s not been so bad here as I still see family who visit me, even if it’s just outside.
“We wave to each other so that’s sweet.”
Ms Whitehead said she was grateful to be working while in self-isolation.
“I was told I could leave at 12.01am on Saturday so I think
“We think our Chief Health Officer has done a great job to date of keeping Queensland relatively COVID-free. And we hope that members of the comthat’s when my Uber would be coming,” she said.
As for her cousin, Ms Zervos said their lives have not been impacted too much and was grateful that Ms Whitehead was in town.
“She’ll be out soon and while it’s not been ideal, we’re going okay and dealing with the circumstances as best as we can,” she said.
The mum-of-two said the only concern for her cousin was that she needed a glutenfree diet; however, her family had been dropping food to the hotel for her. munity follow the directives to make sure that doesn’t change. It was encouraging to hear the National Deputy Chief Health Officer Nick Coatsworth say on Wednesday that Queensland Health’s response had been “straight out of the playbook”,” he said.
But the AMAQ chief said he is concerned about the new cases and it’s a wake up call for people to stay vigilant.
Infectious disease expert and ICU doctor at the Gold Coast University Hospital Dr John Gerrard said “If anybody can stave off a second wave Queensland can, we are better placed than anyone.”
NATASHA BITA
AGED care homes are sacking staff despite the COVID-19 pandemic, sparking demands for a strike force of back-up nurses in case of an outbreak.
Queensland Nurses and Midwives’ Union secretary Beth Mohle on Thursday warned that some providers were making nurses and carers redundant, despite pocketing hundreds of millions of dollars in extra taxpayer funding to cope with the crisis.
“Aged care is a basketcase,’’ she said. “We do not have enough qualified nursing staff.
“The poor bloody carers are doing the best job they can but they’re not necessarily informed in infection control.’’
Ms Mohle said the biggest aged care providers, TriCare and the Uniting Churchowned BlueCare, were sacking staff or slashing hours.
She warned that the state government ban on staff working shifts across different aged care homes would make staff shortages even worse.
“The largest providers in the state are making nurses redundant at a time when they’re most needed,’’ she said.
“We haven’t got the staffing numbers or skills mix to care safely for people.’’
A Blue Care spokesman said a “small number of adjustments in our aged care teams’’ had affected 0.25 per cent of the workforce.
“Our net number of aged care employees has not decreased in 2020,’’ he said.
TriCare did not comment but an industry leader called for a “surge workforce’’ of back-up nurses to work in aged care homes with an outbreak.
“The situation in Victoria is a deadly warning for Queensland,’’ Leading Age Services Australia chief executive Sean Rooney said.
Queensland Health has been contacted for comment.