Covid cases close ward at Southland Hospital

A ward at Southland Hospital has been closed following the discovery of Covid-19 positive patients on the ward.

The Southern District Health Board confirmed the cases in its daily Southern area update this afternoon.

After patients in the assessment, treatment and rehabilitation ward were discovered to be Covid positive the ward was closed to visitors and admissions, the statement says.

"The origin of the infection is unknown and is currently under investigation."

All infection, prevention and control measures are in place.

All ward staff are undertaking rapid antigen tests before each shift and patients on the ward will undergo PCR testing on days three and six.

Patients who have been discovered as Covid-19 positive through PCR testing have been moved to the Covid-19 ward in Southland Hospital.  

All infection, prevention and control measures are in place.

All ward staff were undertaking rapid antigen tests before each shift and patients on the ward will undergo PCR testing on days 3 and 6.

Patients who have been discovered as Covid-19 positive through PCR testing have been moved to the Covid-19 ward in Southland Hospital. 

"Affected patients and their whānau are being kept informed of the situation and visiting will be allowed on compassionate grounds via ward approval. The SDHB apologise for the inconvenience to visitors and patients, but this action is necessary to minimise any further Covid-19 spread within the hospital and protect visitors and patients on the ward.

"The SDHB would like to remind all visitors to Southland Hospital that it is important that they do not visit if they are household contacts or know that they have been a recent close contact of a positive Covid-19 case. If you are unwell, please stay home until you are better and if you have tested positive, please stay home until you have fully recovered. 

"Invercargill and the wider Southland district are experiencing a spike in Covid-19 cases in the community."

Across the Southern region, there are 22 people in hospital with Covid-19 - eight of them are in Southland Hospital, 13 in Dunedin, and one in Dunstan.

Two people in Dunedin Hospital with the virus are in intensive care.

There are 1,157 new positive cases reported today.

Of these, 162 are in Queenstown-Lakes and 94 are in Central Otago.

It brings the total number of unrecovered cases in the region in the last seven days to 7,916.

Local health officials are also reminding people that, from today, 16 and 17 year olds are now eiligible to get a booster vaccine if it has been six months since they completed their primary vaccination dose.  

Anyone who has had Covid-19 should wait at least three months after they test positive before they receive a primary vaccine dose or booster dose.

"A booster dose is highly recommended for 16 and 17 year olds who are at higher risk of severe outcomes from Covid-19. This includes those who are immunocompromised (or living with a family member who is immunocompromised) and Māori and Pacific rangatahi."

Current hospitalisations as at 8am, April 7, 2022 (Source SDHB) 

Please note that hospitalisation data does not differentiate between patients admitted because of Covid-19 infection versus those admitted for a separate reason who happen to also have Covid-19. 

Current cases as of 11.59pm, April 6, 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. A decision has been made nationally that areas with less than 5 new cases per 24-hour period will be reported as “<5”. All territorial authorities with less than 100 cases will have their case numbers rounded to the nearest 5. We are unable to supply further information. Please contact the Ministry of Health directly for more information about these decisions.  

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.