Bay of Plenty District Health Board hospitals has implemented its resurgence plans. Photo / NZME
Bay of Plenty District Health Board hospitals has implemented its resurgence plans. Photo / NZME
Hospital staff in the Bay of Plenty are working to rearrange routine outpatient and other non-acute service appointments as Covid-19 enforced restrictions take place.
Four new virus cases were confirmed overnight, all in Auckland. One of the new cases is a nurse at Auckland Hospital.
Bay of Plenty District Health Board chief executive Pete Chandler told the Bay of Plenty Times the regions health network mobilised immediately following the lockdown announcement made by the Prime Minister last night.
"A 90-minute implementation zoom was held last night with over 50 people from primary care and the DHB, working together to ensure Level 4 health system actions are activated as quickly as possible.
"We will need to rearrange routine hospital outpatient and other non-acute service appointments very quickly and we would remind everyone that new Level 4 visitor restrictions now have to be applied to keep everyone safe."
Bay of Plenty District Health Board chief executive Pete Chandler. Photo / George Novak
Further details of the DHB resurgence plan would be posted on the health board's Facebook page, Chandler said.
Exceptions to the visitor policy include a birthing partner and a support person for patients with disabilities.
Other exceptions will be considered on a case-by-case basis, for example, allowing family to visit a dying patient.
"It's important to remind people not to delay seeking care for urgent health needs – through your GP wherever possible, however, our Emergency Department is always there to provide care for serious and urgent needs.
"It is great to see the whole Bay of Plenty Health Network mobilise together so quickly and we acknowledge the tremendous work that has taken place over the last 14 hours across our hospitals, in primary and community care and across our wider health and social care networks."
Covid-19 vaccinations are being paused for 48 hours to enable safe systems to be put into place at all facilities across the country, Chandler said.
"As the Prime Minister had stated, going hard and early is key to ensuring maximum protection for everyone and this is exactly what we're doing."
All four new cases announced this morning have the Delta variant of Covid-19 and are linked to the Devonport case which sparked the lockdown.
One of the new cases is a fully vaccinated nurse at Auckland Hospital.
Health officials are making immediate moves to try to reduce the risk of an outbreak at the hospital.
The new cases include a co-worker of the initial Devonport case and three close contacts of the co-worker, Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said.
Nurses across the country were prepared to strike on Thursday but it has been called off.
New Zealand Nurses Organisation industrial services manager Glenda Alexander said people's health and wellbeing had to remain their number one priority.
