SDHB COVID-19 Daily Update 15 Feb 2022

We have implemented this daily COVID-19 media release to update case numbers and inform the media and public of the situation across the Southern region.

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.

Close contacts
As of 1pm Tuesday 15th February there are 450 close contacts isolating throughout the Southern district. 332 of these are in the Queenstown-Lakes district.

Hospital services
Planned care at our hospitals (elective operations and procedures) will continue. As an extra layer of protection for patients and staff, a COVID-19 test will be required 48-72 hours prior to surgery. This can be conducted at any community testing centre. Patients will be contacted by their Planned Care Team if they will require a swab for their procedure.

Visiting our hospitals

We have put additional safeguards in place at our hospital to protect our patients and staff. Visitors are required to wear medical masks and other PPE as required. Visitors with mask exemptions are not able to enter our hospitals.

• Patients in our wards may have a maximum of two registered visitors during their entire admission. Only one of the registered visitors may visit each day. Exceptions may be made in time-sensitive palliative care situations and or when people need interpreters or other equity-related support.
• One support person, who has been screened and approved by the relevant area, may attend outpatient appointments and ambulatory care (walk-ins).
• Maternity services: Where there is no suspicion of COVID-19 contact or symptoms for either the patient or support person, one key support person (one partner OR one birthing partner) can accompany patients into the assessment room and birthing suite. Detailed information is available on the Southern Health website.

PPE for Aged Residential Care

Aged Residential Care order their PPE directly from the national supply via a portal, and the stock is then delivered direct. The SDHB is not involved in this process. SDHB does hold stock for emergency/contingency use in Aged Residential Care. This emergency/contingency stock is limited for use in managing a COVID-19 outbreak and SDHB does not hold or have access to Aged Residential Care stock other than this.

Locations of interest

All up-to-date locations of interest can be found on the Ministry of Health website. This list is constantly updated as new locations come to light. There have been some central delays in locations of interest going on the website, so please keep checking. From now on, only high-risk locations of interest will be put up.

There can be many reasons why there are no identified locations of interest. This could include that people didn’t go out in the community during their infectious period, or that all people at the locations they visited have been able to be contacted and notified, or it was a classified low-risk location of interest. There is further information on the Ministry of Health website that explains how locations of interest notifications work.

Individual case enquiries

For privacy reasons, the SDHB does not share personal information about people who have tested positive for COVID-19 unless there are compelling public health reasons to do so. This includes the number of close contacts associated with exposure events

Reducing your exposure to COVID-19

Now that we have COVID-19 circulating in our communities, we are all at risk of being exposed. At all times practice good hygiene, especially when you are socialising.  Get your booster, wear your mask, wash your hands, and keep physically distant from others. These actions will slow the spread and help flatten the curve. If you develop cold or flu like symptoms, please isolate and get tested for COVID-19 immediately.

Testing

If you have symptoms or have been at a location of interest and have been advised to get tested, please get tested and stay home until you receive a negative test result. Otherwise, you do not need to get tested. Due to our district’s geography, transporting swabs to the appropriate laboratory for testing may take some time – please be patient in waiting for your results.

Media enquiries: Southern District Health Board Communications, 
communications@southerndhb.govt.nz.