VISITING HOSPITAL

All hospital visitors are recommended to wear a medical face mask. Expand this message for information about visiting hospital.

Last updated:
13 March 2023

Some visitor restrictions for all Te Whatu Ora Waitaha Canterbury hospitals and health facilities remain in place, but we have relaxed others.

There is still a heightened risk to vulnerable people in hospital and so we recommend all people wear a mask when visiting any of our facilities and follow other advice designed to keep patients, staff and  visitors safe.

To keep everybody safe:

  • Visitors or support people must not visit our facilities if they are unwell. Do not visit if you have recently tested positive for COVID-19 and haven’t completed your isolation period.
  • Patients may have more than one visitor, except in some situations such as multi-bed rooms where it can cause overcrowding.
  • Surgical/medical masks are recommended to be worn at all sites. Masks will be provided if you don’t have one.
  • For Specialist Mental Health Services everyone is strongly encouraged to wear a face mask in all inpatient areas and areas where consumers are receiving care (i.e. community appointments, home-visits, transporting people). Discretion may be applied in cases where masks impair your ability to communicate effectively.
  • Visitors must not eat or drink in multibed rooms because of the increased risk when multiple people remove their face mask in the same space.
  • Hand sanitiser is available and must be used.

Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding as our staff work hard to protect and care for some of the most vulnerable in our community.

Visiting patients with COVID-19

  • People can visit patients who have COVID-19 but they must wear an N95 mask – this will be provided if you don’t have one.
  • Other methods of communication will be facilitated e.g. phone, Facetime, Zoom, WhatsApp etc where visits aren’t possible.

All of our Hospitals

Visiting hours for our hospitals have returned to pre COVID-19 hours with the exception of Christchurch Women’s Hospital.

All visitors are recommended to wear a medical face mask.

Parents/caregivers are able to be with their child in hospital and visitors are now allowed, except for the Children’s Haematology and Oncology Day stay where just one parent/caregiver is able to attend their appointment with their child. Exceptions by special arrangement only.

Patients and visitors should also read the additional more detailed visiting guidelines for each specific hospital.

More COVID-19 information

Canterbury DHB’s public health team providing advice on novel coronavirus to passengers arriving from Mainland China at Christchurch International Airport

Monday 27 January 2020Media release3 minutes to read

THIS IS AN ARCHIVED PAGE. The advice and information contained in this page may not be current and it should only be used for historical reference purposes.

The DHB has deployed staff to Christchurch International Airport from today to provide information on novel coronavirus for passengers arriving on flights direct from Mainland China

More information and the latest updates can be found on the Ministry of Health website www.health.govt.nz/covid-19

Canterbury DHB’s Community & Public Health team will have staff at Christchurch International Airport from today to provide information on novel coronavirus for passengers arriving on flights direct from Mainland China.

Medical Officer of Health, Dr Ramon Pink says there is one direct flight every day from Mainland China to Christchurch. “While there are no direct flights from the most affected areas, Wuhan City and Hubei province, our staff will be meeting passengers from all direct flights from Mainland China.

“The increasing spread of the novel coronavirus, including the identification of cases in Australia, meant a public health presence at the airport was required.

“Members of the public health team are providing information to travellers about symptoms of the coronavirus illness and advising them on what to do if they become unwell in New Zealand. If any travellers report respiratory symptoms of concern, public health staff will provide an initial assessment. Any passengers of concern will be managed according to established processes.

“The current assessment is that the risk of an outbreak in NZ is low, while it is possible that cases will be identified in New Zealand. The public can be reassured that the Canterbury Health System is prepared in the event we have cases of novel coronavirus.

“Today we started distributing coronavirus awareness posters in English and Chinese to our own DHB facilities, to general practice, Urgent Care clinics and other health providers to let patients know about the symptoms and to advise them to wear a mask if they have symptoms and have been to Wuhan in the past 14 days or have had close contact with someone confirmed as having the novel coronavirus.

“Symptoms of novel coronavirus are similar to many other respiratory viruses, and include a high fever, cough and difficulty breathing. With it being influenza season in the northern hemisphere we would expect a number of travellers will have influenza-like symptoms.  

Dr Pink says the public should follow the usual precautions to help keep themselves healthy and well and free from respiratory illness. This includes:

  • avoiding close contact with people suffering from respiratory infections
  • frequently washing hands, especially after contact with ill people or their environment
  • people with symptoms of respiratory infection should practice cough etiquette (maintain distance, cover coughs and sneezes using disposable tissues or clothing, and wash hands regularly).

“The Ministry of Health has the latest information on novel coronavirus and it’s being updated regularly as the situation evolves at www.health.govt.nz/coronavirus,” says Dr Pink.

Visitors to New Zealand can call Healthline on 0800 358 5453. Interpreters are available. Calls are free of charge and answered by a nurse 24/7.

ENDS

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Page last updated: 30 July 2020

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