Qld health protocol to safeguard against employees spreading coronavirus

Under the recently introduced protocol, employees that travelled out of the region over the school holiday break are among those required to obtain certification from a registered health practitioner prior to returning to 21 local government areas in the state's north, central and south west.

The measures are aimed at helping keep the region COVID-19 free.

According to Blackall-Tambo mayor Andrew Martin, who is interim chairman of the Remote Area Planning and Development Board, an incident that took place in the central west on Good Friday saw 16 people, including emergency service personnel, quarantined.

"The incident, a tragedy involving a death with respiratory issues, turned out to be COVID-19 negative, but with people in quarantine until results came back, it meant the police and fire service ranks in the region were depleted," he said.

"It proved to me that our bush infrastructure couldn't handle even one COVID-19 positive case."

The incident took place the day after a Queensland government directive around home confinement, movement and gathering that allowed education and early childhood workers to travel to and from their home centre over the term one break.

"There was nothing in there about coming back," Cr Martin said.

"I don't really see why they should be treated differently to anyone else but I didn't mind them leaving.

"It's what they might be bringing back that I was concerned about."

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After approaching local government and Premier's departments the following week, Carpentaria mayor Jack Bawden, representing the North West Queensland Regional Organisation of Councils, Quilpie mayor Stuart Mackenzie, representing the South West Local Government Association, and Cr Martin explained their concerns on a telephone hook-up with Chief Health Officer, Jeanette Young.

The result was the protocol that applies to the movement of all Queensland government employees and contractors travelling to western Queensland.

Any employee or contractor intending to travel to, or returning to work in western Queensland local government areas must confirm they:

All employees are to be screened before entry for the following symptoms and will not be allowed to enter region if they present with;

"To see this protocol applied to all government employees is more that we had asked for," Cr Martin said. "We applaud the responsive leadership shown by the state government."

The protocol will remain in place until the pandemic ends and applies to Balonne, Barcaldine, Barcoo, Blackall-Tambo, Boulia, Bulloo, Burke, Carpentaria, Cloncurry, Diamantina, Doomadgee, Flinders, Longreach, Maranoa, McKinlay, Mount Isa, Murweh, Paroo, Quilpie, Richmond and Winton local government areas.

"The councils of western Queensland have already asked their own staff to take measures if they have left the region to protect the community, and the development of this protocol supports our approach," said Cr Mackenzie.

There are no cases of coronavirus in the north west, central west or south west Queensland.

Cr Martin said the episode had been a valuable exercise and a chilling wake-up call.

"The heartwarming news is that the vast majority of people stayed right where they were, even a number who actually live within the region only a couple of hours away.

"This might disrupt schools, or Ergon Energy, for instance, but I can't think of any bigger disruption than having coronavirus in our communities."