Changes have been made to the DHB's visitor policy

Please attribute comment to Dr Sue Nightingale, Chief Medical Officer, Canterbury DHB:

Following New Zealand (apart from the greater Auckland region) moving to COVID-19 Alert Level 1, Canterbury DHB has made changes to its visitor restrictions.

The key changes are visiting hours and the number of visitors permitted at our hospitals and health centres. 

We continue to encourage people to keep a record of where they go and when via the NZ COVID Tracer App. Please check in using app at the front door when you enter any of our buildings.

Christchurch Hospital

Under COVID-19 Alert Level 1, visiting hours have changed.

They are now 11am to 1pm and 3pm to 8pm until further notice.

In addition:

• Only one visitor at a time but it can be a different person each time
• All people attending an outpatient appointment can have one support person with them
• There can be more than one family member invited to attend a family meeting
• Parents and caregivers can be present in paediatric areas as normal

Burwood Hospital

• Visiting is from 11am to 7pm daily

Christchurch Women’s Hospital/Rangiora Health Hub Maternity/Lincoln Maternity/Ashburton Maternity

• Partners can visit from 8am to 10pm
• All other visiting is from 3pm until 8pm

At Alert Level 1 visitors are welcome to wear a mask when visiting our facilities but it is not compulsory.

Visiting any Aged Residential Care Facilities operated by Canterbury DHB needs to be arranged by appointment. This includes Tuarangi Home in Ashburton along with our facilities in Kaikoura, Ellesmere, Oxford, Darfield and Waikari.

Full details of further changes to visiting at other Canterbury DHB facilities are available on our website.

As always, please don’t visit if you’re unwell and remember the usual public health precautions such as practising good hand hygiene and staying a safe distance from people you don’t know. 

If you have COVID-19 symptoms (any acute respiratory infection with at least one of the following symptoms: new or worsening cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, stuffy or runny nose, lost sense of smell – with or without a fever) you should contact your General Practice team or call Healthline on 0800 358 5453. You can be tested for COVID-19 at your General Practice or at a community-based testing centre (CBAC). You do not need a referral to attend a CBAC. Find out more about testing on our website.

If you are unwell and need to see a doctor you should call your usual GP team for advice 24/7. For general health information visit healthinfo.org.nz.

ENDS