Focus Live: NZ Herald Political reporter Derek Cheng speaks to director general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield after an audit by infectious diseases specialist Dr Ayesha Verrall.
Strict rules around visiting patients at Whanganui Hospital could be relaxed as the country heads into alert level 2.
Whanganui District Health Board says although it anticipates some relaxation it is awaiting guidance from the Ministry of Health before making a final decision.
The phased approach to get operations backto normal at the hospital started on April 28 as the nation moved out of level 4 into level 3.
All deferred procedures and operations are now being seen to and will continue to do so in level two. Photo / Lewis Gardner
A number of elective surgeries and procedures have been undertaken each day since.
There were 130 deferred procedures and operations during the level 4 lockdown.
Whanganui DHB chief executive Russell Simpson said there was a lot of people affected but each person was contacted and re-triaged by a surgeon.
Cardiac patients are also still being transferred to Wellington by the air ambulance.
Simpson said a number of operations were downscaled including a number of deferrable procedures to ensure that had the capacity to deal with an increasing number of patients with Covid-19.
He said there was also a dedicated 35-bed ward vacant and ready to go for Covid-19 patients but this had not yet been required.
Testing and assessments at Te Oranganui, Gonville Health, Taihape Health and Ruapehu Health in Raetihi will still continue in level two. Photo / Bevan Conley
Covid-19 testing
Under alert level 2, the central community-based assessment centre at Whanganui Hospital will continue to operate.
Assessments and swabbing will also continue at Te Oranganui, Gonville Health, Taihape Health and Ruapehu Health in Raetihi.
Simpson said they would be contacting to as many people as possible to test them.
