Today we hear on the News that Indooroopilly High has had a confirmed positive case. The school is closed for deep clean. We had a couple of Indooroopilly High kids at rowing yesterday.
The question is "What are our obligations". My thoughts are in fluro pink
Questions that spring to mind are:
a) Should I get tested?
b) What should we advise others who were present to do?
c) What cleaning should the rowing club do.
In summary it seems we don't do anything unless contacted by QLD health.
RESEARCH
What is a CLOSE CONTACT
A close contact is a person who has:
- had face-to-face
contact for any amount of time or shared a closed space for at least 1
hour with a confirmed case during their infectious period. (Unknown)
- been to a venue or location where the risk of transmission is considered high based on public health assessment - Sounds like this is true in this case
- been identified by public health authorities to be at high risk for developing COVID-19 as they have or may have been in contact with someone with COVID-19, for example in a school or other institutional setting. (Unknown)
The local public health unit will tell you if you have been deemed a close contact of someone who has COVID-19. They may direct you to quarantine for 14 days. If you get sick with any COVID-19 symptoms during that period, even mild, get tested immediately.
Comment: This feels like do nothing until told.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE A CLOSE CONTACT
Management of Close Contacts Direction (No.2)
A person who is informed that they are a close contact must quarantine until the end of the fourteenth day after the day on which the person last had close contact or until an earlier or later time as an emergency officer (public health) specifies in a direction under section 362G or 362H of the Public Health Act 2005.
What is a CASUAL CONTACT
QLD health glossary page conveniently and somewhat typically (please forgive my sarcasm) does not include a definition of "Casual Contact".
https://metronorth.health.qld.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/mnphu-covid-19-casualcontact.pdf
This starts with ....
Novel Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19): Casual Contact
You have been identified as a person who has had casual contact with a confirmed case of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) infection.
A casual contact is someone who has been in the same general area as a person with coronavirus infection while that person was infectious,
including:
Those with less than 15 minutes face-to-face contact with a symptomatic case in any setting;
OR
Those who shared a closed space such as a room with an infectious confirmed case for less than 2 hours
Casual contacts do not need to be excluded from work or school while well.
You must closely monitor your health for 14 days.
Immediately isolate yourself and contact a doctor if you develop any of the following symptoms:
• Fever
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Fatigue
• Shortness of breath
and some more
https://www.health.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/1010330/COVID-19-public-venue-advice.pdf
Large indoor/outdoor venues, such as warehouses or theme parks, would be considered lower exposure
risk (casual contact) unless the case spent more than 15 minutes for face-to-face contact with any person
at the location; the person should then be considered a close contact and followed up accordingly.
Casual contacts will be advised to monitor for symptoms and get tested immediately if
they become unwell. If tested, they should isolate themselves until they receive their test result.
=======================//==========================
Unlinked virus case recorded in Brisbane (msn.com)
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/unlinked-virus-case-recorded-in-brisbane/ar-AAMIEXN?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531
Queensland has recorded an unlinked locally acquired case of COVID-19 in a high school student in western Brisbane.
The 17-year-old girl, who's an Indooroopilly State High School student, tested positive on Thursday night after suffering a headache.
Health Minister Yvette D'Ath says the case is yet to be linked with any existing outbreaks in the state.
"This is an unknown, unlinked case at this stage. Until we get more information, masks are more important than ever," she said on Friday.
2-8-2021 BUSINESS STUFF
South East Queensland lockdown
Lockdown restrictions apply from 4pm, Saturday 31 July until 4pm, Sunday 8 August for the local government areas of Brisbane, Gold Coast, Ipswich, Lockyer Valley, Logan, Moreton Bay, Noosa, Redland, Scenic Rim, Somerset and Sunshine Coast.
All non-essential businesses must close. A list of non-essential ('restricted') businesses is in Schedule 3 of the Chief Health Officer's restrictions for locked down areas (South East Queensland) direction. This includes:
- retail food services (e.g. pubs, restaurants, cafes and fast food outlets) except for takeaway and home delivery services
- entertainment facilities (e.g. theatres, cinemas, music halls and concert halls)
- face-to-face learning at universities, TAFEs or other higher education settings
- major sports stadiums, convention centres and showgrounds
- indoor and outdoor events (e.g. marathons, cultural festivals, fetes, expos)
- theme parks, outdoor amusement parks, tourism experiences and arcades
- zoos, aquariums and wildlife centres, except to provide maintenance and care for animals
- amusement centres (e.g. places to play billiards, pool, pinball machines or video games)
- gyms, health clubs, fitness centres, yoga, barre, spin facilities and dance studios
- indoor sporting centres and venues
- places of public worship, except for weddings (maximum 10 people including the celebrant and couple and funerals (maximum 10 people including funeral staff). Religious ceremonies may be livestreamed
- spas, nail salons, hairdressers, beauty salons, waxing salons, tanning salons, tattoo parlours, non-therapeutic massage and water-based spa services
- massage parlours, unless providing massage therapy for the management or prevention of disease, injury or condition by a registered health practitioner or qualified massage therapist
- auction houses
- betting agencies and gaming lounges
- casinos, gaming or gambling venues, including wagering outlets that are accessible by members of the public
- markets, except for food and farmers markets
- galleries, museums and libraries
- community facilities, such as community halls excluding the provision of hosting essential voluntary or public services such as foodbanks and homeless services
- sex on premises services, sex services premises and strip clubs
- public swimming pools (apartment/body corporate complex pools can stay open if they are only used by permanent residents)
- nightclubs.
Business owners and employees can only leave their home for essential work or other limited permitted purposes. Essential work is any work that is necessary to maintain essential services and supplies to the community and can't be done from your home.
Construction can continue. Essential construction can continue on sites that are a home residence or workplace, but minimise interactions between workers and residents, staff or visitors to the workplace.
Childcare centres can remain open for children of essential workers only.
Requirements for wearing a face mask apply.
Information on a support package for affected businesses will be announced in the coming days.
Read more about:
- restrictions for South East Queensland
- the Chief Health Officer's restrictions for locked down areas (South East Queensland) direction
- the roadmap to easing restrictions.
WHAT IS ESSENTIAL WORK?
The government web site is littered with statements referring to essential work but finding a definition of what actually IS essential work is bloody hard. It is hardly surprising that people hold the government with such disdain. We have had covid for over a year and they still release rules full of inconsistency and that spark confusion.
An essential business, activity or undertaking in a locked down area may otherwise operate as normal, with physical distancing observed and subject to any other requirements in this Direction such as face masks and any other requirements in other public health directions such collecting contact information.
Note: See Definitions Schedule 1 – an essential business, activity or undertaking means a business, activity or undertaking that is not prohibited under Schedule 3.
================================================
And for work....
My understanding of the rules is:
1. We are an "Essential Business"
RESEARCH
The government web site is littered with statements referring to essential work but finding a definition of what actually IS "essential work" is bloody hard. It is hardly surprising that people hold the government with such disdain. We have had covid for over a year and they still release rules full of inconsistencies and that spark confusion.
-
An essential business, activity or undertaking in a locked down area may otherwise operate as normal, with physical distancing observed and subject to any other requirements in this Direction such as face masks and any other requirements in other public health directions such collecting contact information.
Note: See Definitions Schedule 1 – an essential business, activity or undertaking means a business, activity or undertaking that is not prohibited under Schedule 3. (Schedule 3 lists things like restaurants, hair dressers and so on)
2. The Remote work question
As we are an "Essential Business" we can drive to work. I note
the caveat "unless one can not work at home". So for example,
doing hardware testing, one can't do that at home and doing
software development, one would need to take a jig home. Tomorrow
we need to work out the new greybot software that fixes the
temperature sensor bug so we will need Lee here to do that.
Likewise as the business owner, it's hard to supervise from home.
3. We have to wear masks indoors at work
per Graeme's notes below,
20. A person mentioned in paragraph 19 (Thats us in lockdown) must:
-
carry a face mask at all times; and
-
wear a face mask covering the nose and mouth at all times if they are in an indoor space
21 The requirements under paragraph 20 do not apply:
b.to a person in an indoor space that is in their residence
d. to a person travelling alone in a private vehicle
L. if the person is consuming food, drink or medicine
q to a person engaged in strenuous physical exercise
As I read it, no exemption for indoors even with tones of physical distancing. (unless you eat continuously).
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