Healthcare workers treating COVID19 cases in the Torres Strait will be given extra protection against the virus as the outbreak in neighbouring Papua New Guinea grows. The first of three ventilation hoods is being transported to the hospital on Thursday Island off the tip of Cape York in the far north of Queensland. It is the referral hospital for seventeen Primary Health Care Centres in the Torres Strait Islands. "Particularly in light of the recent clusters in Queensland being traced back to health staff, providing additional layers of protection equipment is essential to protect not just the health professionals treating COVID patients, but also the broader community," Rural Doctors Association of Australia President John Hall said.