Sick told steer clear of aged
TOWNSVILLE is the base of the only government lab outside the southeast corner able to process coronavirus samples, the State Government has revealed.
The Townsville Bulletin can reveal samples from across North Queensland will be sent to Townsville University Hospital for COVID-19 testing, with the lab able to process up to 100 tests a day.
Since coronavirus testing arrived in Australia in January, all testing has been conducted at two government labs in Brisbane but extending capabilities to Townsville means the turnaround time for tests will be quicker.
Townsville University Hospital will also receive additional ventilators from the extra 110 that have been purchased for Queensland.
There had been no confirmed cases of coronavirus in North Queensland as of last night, although the spread nationwide has sparked unprecedented measures, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison announcing all non-essential gatherings of more than 500 people – including football games, concerts and conferences will be cancelled from Monday.
Every Queensland public hospital is equipped to collect specimens for coronavirus testing, according to the State Government.
Several private pathology laboratories have also eased the pressure on the public health system by collecting and testing samples from people who meet the criteria for coronavirus assessments.
GPS in North Queensland have told residents not to come to clinics unannounced and if they are showing symptoms of coronavirus, testing will be carried out in carparks while people are still in their cars.
Queensland Health has not been providing updates about how many people have been tested for the virus.
Thuringowa MP Aaron Harper said he was confident Townsville and North Queensland were well prepared.
“We have prepared and responded to natural disasters before, and this is similar,” he said.
“The community should be alert but not alarmed.
“We all have a role to play to help contain the spread of coronavirus.
“It is important people take some simple steps to help slow the transmission of coronavirus if it gets to North Queensland.”
STRINGENT controls have been put in place at agedcare facilities and childcare centres in Townsville.
As the Federal Government puts more controls in place to help stop the spread of the coronavirus, more organisations are taking steps to protect the most vulnerable groups from the virus.
The state’s Chief Health Officer warned Queenslanders to steer clear of the elderly during the pandemic.
Jeannette Young said while most people would get a very mild disease if they developed COVID-19, the elderly would be the most vulnerable.
“It’s really older people, particularly over the age of 80, so for everyone, they really shouldn’t be visiting people who are over the age of 80, or people over the age of 60 with chronic disease, if they’ve got even a sniffle,” she said.
“This is a time … to pick up the phone and talk to your elderly relatives instead of going to an aged-care facility.”
Carinity, which runs Fairfield Grange in Idalia, said it had implemented multiple measures to ensure the safety of its residents.
“Carinity has comprehensive infection control and pandemic risk procedures and processes in place to identify, assess and minimise infection-related risks to residents, staff and visitors,” a spokesman said.
“Our nursing staff are closely monitoring all residents and following advice from Queensland Health and the Australian Government Department of Health.
“Carinity is asking people to not attend a Carinity site if they are returning from countries where the Australian Government has travel restrictions relating to COVID-19. Staff will not be able to return to work until they have self-isolated for 14 days.”
Queensland Health information suggests elderly people and people with preexisting conditions, such as asthma, diabetes and heart disease were the most vulnerable to the virus.
Dr Young said while young children did not fare well when infected with the flu, they were highly resilient when diagnosed with the novel coronavirus.
While few cases of coronavirus have been reported in children, childcare provider Goodstart Early
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Learning, which has 15 centres across Townsville, has been planning for the possibility of a coronavirus outbreak since the beginning of the year.
A Goodstart spokeswoman said they have resources and information in place to respond quickly and are already providing assistance and advice to families should the current situation change.
“We have excluded staff and children where they have travelled to nations with high levels of infection and will continue to do so as required,” the spokeswoman said.
“We are communicating regularly with our families and closely monitoring government advice and will continue to take a cautious and conservative approach to the health and wellbeing of children and staff.”