KEY POINTS:
Some outpatient clinics and a ward at Dunedin Hospital will reopen tomorrow despite a rampant norovirus still infecting patients and staff.
All elective surgery, investigations, outpatient clinics and planned admissions scheduled for today were postponed.
Otago District Health Board (DHB) operations manager Megan Boivin said since August 1, 47 patients and 79 staff had been infected by the virus.
The DHB continued to have cases of suspected norovirus across both Dunedin and Wakari Hospitals, she said.
Ms Boivin said three wards were closed to admissions at Dunedin Hospital, but one ward was reopened today.
There were currently 24 patients in isolation across Dunedin and Wakari Hospitals, she said.
Some outpatient clinics, which did not require access to other parts of the hospital or were urgent, would proceed tomorrow.
Ms Boivin said visiting restrictions at both hospitals remained in place.
However, partners of patients at Queen Mary Maternity who had not been unwell, were encouraged to be present at the births of their children and while the mother and baby were in hospital, she said.
The DHB was still concerned at the number of staff and patients who had become ill during the past 24 hours, Ms Boivin said.
Anybody with diarrhoea or vomiting should stay away from work or school until they had been free from all symptoms for 48 hours.
Good hand hygiene was the most important way to stop the spread of the illness, said Ms Boivin.
- NZPA
