COVID-19 Alert Level 3 – access to healthcare and visitor restrictions in Canterbury

Information for visitors and patients at COVID-19 alert level 3

Under COVID-19 Alert Level 3, visitor access to all Canterbury DHB health facilities remains restricted to enable safe physical distancing.

Limiting our interactions with those outside our bubbles is one of our best defences against COVID-19. For this reason, a no visitor policy continues to apply across all Canterbury DHB facilities.

Children under 16 and people who are unwell cannot visit under any circumstances, except to access emergency care.

Under Alert Level 3, the following exceptions apply and a person may enter our facilities:

• to visit a person receiving end of life care
• to provide support to a person with a disability
• to enable one parent/caregiver to be with a child who is in hospital
• CHOC – (Child Haematology Oncology Centre), one parent to accompany/stay with each patient
• as a parent visiting the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
• ICU – one nominated person from the patient’s bubble may visit once per day during visiting hours and be the only visitor for the duration of the patient’s stay
• Maternity:
  • one support person only to accompany someone presenting for acute assessment
  • women in labour in a maternity facility are allowed two support partners from their bubble for the duration of the labour and birth
  • women can have one named support person from their bubble for the duration of their postnatal stay
  • LMCs may visit women postnatally in our maternity units.
• Specialist Mental Health Services – one support person to accompany someone presenting for acute assessment or urgent care

All of the above remain at the discretion of the Charge Nurse/Midwife Manager for the ward or service. Visitors will not be allowed in wards caring for patients in isolation. Additional exceptions may be made on compassionate grounds.

Where these visits do take place, all visitors are required to wear a mask or face-covering at all times, unless they have a physical or mental condition that makes them exempt.

Please scan in using the QR code, wherever you go using the government’s COVID-19 Tracer App, and ensure Bluetooth is turned on within the app – this means you’ll receive alerts if you’ve been exposed to a case.

Elective surgeries and outpatient appointments

If your appointment or elective (planned) surgery was scheduled on Wednesday 1 September onwards please attend at the time originally advised, unless you have been contacted by us to advise that it has been rescheduled.

If your outpatient appointment or planned surgery was scheduled prior to 1 September, please wait for us to get in touch to advise of your rescheduled appointment.

Exemption card for face coverings 

We know that some people who have a disability or health condition may not be able to wear a face covering safely or comfortably. If you cannot wear one, you can get an exemption card. You can show your exemption card when needed, for example to a bus driver. 

You can request a card from the Disabled Persons Assembly NZ by contacting them on 04 801 9100 or at info@dpa.org.nz.

DHB Aged Residential Care facilities
The no visitors rule applies. However, family visits for palliative care residents who are receiving end of life care and do not have COVID-19 will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Park and Ride

The hospital shuttle service from the Deans Ave car park will resume tomorrow. Shuttles will run from Monday-Friday 6:15am-8.30pm daily, to and from the Christchurch Hospital main entrance and Waipapa, and to and from the Outpatients Building until 6pm.The following applies:

• all people using the shuttle will be required to wear a mask or face-covering unless medically exempt
• a limit of five passengers per shuttle will be observed to allow greater physical distancing
• hand sanitiser will be available to use as you enter and leave the shuttle
• an enhanced cleaning schedule is in place during shuttle operational hours
• please don’t use the shuttle if you are sick. You should not be visiting any of our facilities if you are unwell.

Cafés

Christchurch Campus:

• Great Escape Café         Open to staff only with coffee and pre-packaged food available         usual opening hours
• Willow Lane                     Open for coffee and pre-packaged food, Monday to Friday               08:00 to 14:00
• Kanuka                            Open for coffee and pre-packaged food, Monday to Friday               08:00 to 14:00
• PeaBerry, Parkside and Christchurch Women’s Café will remain closed under level 3

Ashburton Hospital Café                Open for coffee and pre-packaged food, Monday to Friday                              08:00 to 16:00

Hillmorton Avon Café                      Open for coffee and pre-packaged food, Monday to Friday                             11:00 to 13:00

Burwood Travis Courtyard Café      Open to staff only for coffee and pre-packaged food, Monday to Sunday        08:30 to 15.30

ENDS