Thursday, March 28, 2024

North Shore hospital emergency ward closed after COVID-19 detection

Emergency patients are being diverted from Auckland’s North Shore hospital and Short Stay Surgical Unit following a positive COVID-19 case being confirmed as being treated there.

Director General of Health, Ashley Bloomfield said both the hospital’s Emergency Department and the Short Stay Surgical Unit had been closed after hospital staff diagnosed a confirmed COVID-positive patient had been earlier admitted to North Shore Hospital for an unrelated condition prior to the current lockdown.

“Given the incubation period of the virus, the DHB has assumed that the person could have been infectious during the admission to North Shore Hospital,” Dr Bloomfield said.

“The DHB has taken immediate action to close the North Shore Hospital Emergency Department and Short Stay Surgical Unit to new admissions. Diversions to other hospital EDs are in place as the DHB this morning contacts staff and patients who may have been exposed to COVID.”

He said affected staff would be stood down and advised to follow public health advice.

The Ministry said potentially exposed current patients would be notified and isolated as well as tested in the hospital. Patients already discharged will be followed-up by public health officials, it said.

Affected parts of the hospital will be deep cleaned today and then reopened as soon as it is safe to do so.

The DHB will be working today to confirm the number of staff and patients affected, the Ministry said.

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