Covid outbreak shuts Dunedin hospital ward

A visitor-to-patient Covid-19 infection has been discovered on ward 7c at Dunedin Public Hospital, health officials have reported.

In a statement this afternoon, the Southern District Health board says ward 7c has been shut to all visitors, and patients are undergoing PCR testing.

"The visitor was asymptomatic when they visited their loved one and the moment they developed symptoms they did the right thing: they stayed home and got tested immediately," the statement says.

As of 11am, there are four confirmed Covid-19 cases in relation to this exposure event. 

All confirmed cases were in the same four-bed room and no staff have tested positive. 

Surveillance testing will be ongoing for both staff and patients and there will be no further admissions to this ward at this time.  

Affected patients and their whānau are being kept informed of the situation.

"The SDHB apologises for the inconvenience to visitors and the patients of ward 7c, but the actions are necessary to maintain good infection and prevention control, and to minimise any further Covid-19 spread within the hospital."

Meanwhile, the SDHB has reported 1,212 new cases of Covid-19 across the Southern region the community today.

In Queenstown-Lakes there are 185 new cases and in Central Otago, 71.

There are 27 people with the virus in hospitals across the region, including two in intensive care in Dunedin, and one in Dunstan Hospital in Clyde.

Current hospitalisations as at 8am, March 31, 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, March 30, 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.