270 news cases for Q'town, 40 for Central Otago

Health officials say healthcare workers are doing the best they can in a tough time, as 270 new cases of Covid-19 are reported today in Queenstown Lakes and 40 in Central Otago.

There are 14 people in hospital with the virus in the region - 11 in Dunedin and three in Invercargill.

Across the South, there are 1,238 new cases.

It brings the total number of cases in the South in the last 90 days to 15,547.

The total number of active cases in Queenstown Lakes is 1,767 and in Central Otago, 300.

Current cases as of 11.59pm, March 14, 2022 (Source SDHB) 

Please note, the Ministry of Health’s daily reported cases may differ slightly from those reported at a DHB or local public health unit level. This is because of different reporting cut off times and the assignment of cases between regions, for example when a case is tested outside their usual region of residence. Total numbers will always be the formal daily case tally as reported to the WHO. Due to the increased use of RATs and system lag issues there may be a discrepancy in the number of total active cases from the territorial authority breakdown. 

In a statement, the Southern District Health Board says as the number of active cases of Omicron continues to rise in the community, more of its staff are contracting Covid-19 and having to isolate, and that's impacting on some non-urgent services.

"In the coming weeks some services across the Southern DHB may change or scale back to allow staff to be redeployed to areas in the healthcare system where care cannot be deferred," the statement says.

"These areas include services such as cancer care, non-deferrable surgery and diagnostic procedures such as radiology.  

Hamish Brown, the SDHB's chief operating officer, says all healthcare staff are doing their best to care for patients and the community during an unprecedented time in New Zealand's history.

“It is understandable that some people who visit our hospitals and healthcare providers may feel anxious or frustrated but this is no excuse to take these feeling out on staff. We would ask that everyone be kind and considerate to healthcare staff during this stressful time.” 

The Southern District Health Board is also encouraging those who can to receive their third vaccination against the virus.

"If you haven't gone to get your booster vaccination yet, get it now. It takes about two weeks after vaccination for the body to build full protection against Covid-19, so the time to act is now."

Across the Southern region 98.4 percent of those eligible to do so have received a first dose, 97.2 percent a second, and 75.2 percent a third.

Covid-19 in the South - What you need to know:

• Please only get tested if you have symptoms or are a household contact of a confirmed case.
• Testing locations can be found on the WellSouth website.
• If you test positive on a RAT test you do not need to have that confirmed by PCR – you are a case. Please update your My Covid Record with your result. Call 0800 222 478, option 3, if you need any support to do this.

• If you receive a text notification that you are positive, please do the online survey in the link you receive in the text message as soon as possible. This will ensure you can receive the appropriate care and support when you need it. Please be aware that, after filling in your My Covid Record with your positive RAT result, there can be a 24-hour delay before you receive this text message. 

• Prepare now to self-isolate if you or a family member or housemate tests positive.
• If you are self-isolating and require welfare support such as help getting groceries, please call 0800 512 337.
• If you have concerns about Covid-19 symptoms, call your general practice or Healthline on 0800 358 5453 at any time. If you are very unwell or having breathing difficulties, call 111 immediately.