Cairns residents urged to be prepared with Covid ready kits
Far North residents are being urged to book in for jabs and assemble their Covid ready kit including plans for family care in case they need to isolate at short notice as Omicron surges across the region.
Cairns
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PARENTS are being urged to book in children for Covid vaccinations from January 10 but there’s no indication the main Cairns Convention Centre hub will return earlier from its Christmas closure to help deal with demand for jabs and boosters.
On Monday Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service public health physician, Dr Annie Preston Thomas, said people are encouraged to book in younger children for a jab at a clinic.
“From today you can book in your children aged 5 to 11 to get vaccinated from January 10, ” she said.
“We’d love to see parents dashing in with their children to be vaccinated.
She said everyone should roll up their sleeve if they have not already done so.
But when asked if CHHHS would reopen the hub at Cairns Convention Centre ahead of its December 30 scheduled date in order to help provide more vaccinations for the region, Dr Preston-Thomas said: “I can’t speak to that.”
Meanwhile, Queensland Health said pharmacies and GP clinics are offering vaccinations while hubs such as Cairns Convention Centre are closed until December 30.
Dr Preston-Thomas said CHHHS had been notified of 77 cases of transmission in the past seven days.
“We know we’ve a lot of infection in the region,,” she said.
“We have locally acquired cases as well as new cases in the region, so we ask everyone if you have symptoms then get tested and if you have not been vaccinated please go and get vaccinated because Covid is in our community now.”
Dr Preston-Thomas said with Omicron cases already active in Cairns, Atherton and Innisfail, people should assume they could be contact with a person who has Covid.
“Far North Queenslanders are used to getting ready in advance of cyclones,” she said.
“We are asking local people to do a similar thing for Covid.”
She said the kit should include a Covid care plan which contains vital details about you, your health and people in your household to share with your health worker or doctor, other health workers such as disability carers, hospital staff and a friend or family member.
At Alive Pharmacy Warehouse in Westcourt, retail manager Connie Thao, said people needed to plan ahead.
“I think it is important to have a Covid-Ready Kit and we have everything from hand sanitisers, pain relief and thermometers to masks,” she said.
Queensland Health Covid Ready Kit suggestions
* Thermometer
* Pain relief
* Your regular medications
* Face masks, hand sanitiser and disposable gloves
* A plan for who can look after your children, pets, or people in your care only if you have to go to hospital.
* A plan for food and essentials for two weeks such as frozen meals, long life milk, and supplies and food for your pets
* Phone numbers for people you can call if you need help
* Stay-at-home activities
* A Covid Care Plan in case you get Covid-19 to give it to your health worker or doctor if you need to go to hospital.
Where to get more help
13 HEALTH – 13 43 25 84
134 Covid – 13 42 68
Community recovery hotline – 1800 173 349
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