Mackay’s Public Health Unit has been recognised for their outstanding response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The team received the Pandemic Response Award in the Mackay Hospital and Health Service’s annual staff reward and recognition event.
Chief Executive Jo Whitehead said Director Brigid Fenech and her team had worked tirelessly providing specialist advice and investigations to keep their community safe.
“Many individuals and teams in the health service have been involved in the pandemic response and we are incredibly grateful for their work,” Ms Whitehead said.
“The workload on Public Health is continuous despite the fact we have not had a positive COVID-19 case in our region for many months,” she said.
When asked to support exemption applications the team takes an empathetic approach while also ensuring public health directions are adhered to.
Ms Whitehead said the team provided expert advice to government and non-government stakeholders with a ‘can do’ attitude and always with the public at the centre of all decisions or advice.
“Every day they are the link between the Chief Health Officers directions, the health service and government stakeholders. They also ensure our communities are represented at a State level when decisions are made,” she said.
Some of the tasks have included:
- Supporting and monitoring the quarantine of 16 confirmed COVID-19 cases
- Contact tracing for 51 people associated with cases in Mackay and the Whitsundays
- Issued 1457 quarantine notices – today there are 12 active quarantine cases in our health service
- Helped negotiate the safe transfer of a COVID-19 positive patient from Hamilton Island
- Logistics for retrieval of a COVID-19 positive patient from a bulk carrier at sea
- Provision of specialist advice to the health service, local government, industries, mining organisations and many others
- Inspections of accommodation facilities and other businesses to ensure COVID-19 compliance
- Set up and managed compliance screening and quarantine order provision processes at airports in Whitsunday, Hamilton island and Mackay
- Facilitation and logistics of exemption holders visiting our HHS for compassionate reasons
- Assisted aged care facilities to develop their COVID-19 plans.
- Provided advice for large-scale funeral arrangements to ensure COVID-19 safe compliance while also being caring and compassionate to family members.
