Covid in the South: 23 in hospital, 1,110 new cases

Health officials are reporting 1,110 new cases of Covid-19 in the Southern region today, as a ward at Southland Hosptial remains shut after an outbreak of the virus.

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

It has reported an additional 135 cases for the Queenstown Lakes area, and 97 for Central Otago.

It brings the total number of active cases in each of the districts to 1,053 and 564 respectively.

Across the South there are now 7,784 active cases of Covid-19.

There are 23 people in hospital with the virus - 11 in Dunedin, 10 in Invercargil, and one each in Clyde and Queenstown.

Of of those in hospital in Dunedin is in intensive care.

The assessment, treatment and rehabilitation ward at Southland Hospital in Invercargill remains closed to visitors and admissions after the discovery of Covid-19 positive patients yesterday.

The SDHB says a number of aged care staff throughout the South, especially in Invercargill and wider Southland are testing positive for Covid-19, as are patients in these facilities.

All aged residential care facilities who have staff and/or residents affected by COVID-19 have contacted family, whānau and loved ones of their respective residents to inform them of what is happening in their facilities. 

"Some aged residential care facilities have closed to visitors in the short term as a precaution to protect their vulnerable residents."

"If you have a loved one in an aged residential care facility and are unsure if you can visit them, please phone the facility in question."

In its daily Covid-19 update today, the Ministry of Health has reported ten new deaths - including someone aged between 10 and 19 years old - while the daily number of new community cases in New Zealand has dropped below the 10,000 mark.

Current hospitalisations as at 8am, April 8, 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 7, 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.