COVID cases will be triaged in temporary structures outside the Redland emergency department as Queensland Health prepares for an expected rise in hospital presentations over coming weeks.
The air-conditioned tents are being set up at Redland Hospital in a bid to increase capacity and reduce transmission risk for other emergency patients.
It comes as COVID cases in the Redlands climb by more than 2000 in a week and Queensland prepares to throw open its borders to vaccinated international travellers on Saturday.
The tents are also being set up at other hospitals, including Brisbane's PA hospital and Gold Coast University Hospital.
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A Metro South Health spokeswoman said the number of people presenting to hospitals with the virus had increased and that trend was expected to continue over coming weeks.
"A temporary structure is being established outside the Redland Hospital emergency department as part of our COVID-19 response," she said.
"With increased hospital presentations expected in the coming weeks, this space will provide a dedicated space for the emergency department to triage and assess COVID-19 positive or suspect cases."
Queensland Health is fighting a battle on multiple fronts, with COVID impacts on staff also contributing to longer emergency wait times.
A total of 6048 health service and Queensland Ambulance workers were out of action as of Wednesday, with 2766 of those COVID positive and 3282 quarantining as close contacts.
The temporary structures are set to be in place at the hospital by early next month and will remain as long as they are required to support the COVID response.
Oodgeroo MP Mark Robinson said capacity upgrades should have happened years ago and it was sad the government had to resort to temporary measures.
"The state government hasn't listened to frontline healthcare staff and that's another reason why Queensland Health and Redland Hospital is in crisis," he said.
"The LNP opposition has been calling for the government to plan properly for surges expected to impact our health system, and we know this has been coming for some time."
Health Minister Yvette D'Ath said the temporary structures were intended as an overflow to ease congestion at emergency departments.
"We want to make sure we can have that space and social distancing as much as we can in our EDs," she said.
"It is really important that we do implement these measures just to ease some of those pressures on our EDs."
Capalaba MP Don Brown thanked frontline workers at Redland Hospital and urged people to be patient as the state hit its COVID peak.
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