VISITING HOSPITAL

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

Last updated:
31 October 2024

Some visitor restrictions for all Health New Zealand | 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 we encourage 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 are advised to not visit our facilities if they are unwell. We advise that you 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 encouraged to be worn at all sites. Masks will be provided if you don’t have one.
  • Please practice hand hygiene with provided alcohol-based hand rub/gel

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 a surgical mask as a minimum – please use surgical masks provided.

All of our Hospitals

Visiting hours for our hospitals have returned to pre COVID-19 hours.

All visitors are encouraged to wear a medical face mask.

Parents/caregivers can be with their child in hospital and visitors are now allowed, except for the Children’s Haematology and Oncology Day stay where visitor restrictions might apply.

Patients and visitors can also read the additional COVID-19 related visiting guidelines .

Health Warning for swimming after heavy rainfall

  1. Home
  2. Health news
  3. Health Warning for swimming after heavy rainfall

Thursday 22 February 2018Media release2 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THIS IS AN ARCHIVED PAGE. The advice and information contained in this page may not be current and it should only be used for historical reference purposes.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 Community and Public Health division of Canterbury District Health Board has issued a health warning for swimming for at least 48 hours after heavy rainfall (more than 10mm rainfall over a 24 hour period).

Canterbury Medical Officer of Health Dr Alistair Humphrey says “rainfall in the Canterbury region in the last week from ex-Cyclone Gita is likely to cause many swimming spots to pose an increased risk of infection.”

Water can be contaminated during heavy rainfall from surface water runoff, overloaded septic systems, sewage overflows and backflow, rural runoff and sediment.

Water contaminated by human or animal faecal bacteria may contain a range of disease causing micro-organisms such as viruses, bacteria and protozoa.

“In most cases the ill-health effects from exposure to contaminated water are minor and short-lived. However, there is the potential for more serious diseases, such as hepatitis A, giardia, cryptosporosis, campylobacter and salmonella,” Dr Humphrey says.

Environment Canterbury routinely sample sites for microbiological suitability for swimming however it is also important to note that the test results are only a snapshot of conditions at the time of testing, and if there has been heavy rain since, it’s likely the water quality will be worse.

For more information about swimming water quality visit LAWA (Land Air Water Aotearoa) or the Environment Canterbury website:

https://www.lawa.org.nz/explore-data/swimming/

https://www.ecan.govt.nz/your-region/your-environment/water/swimming-water-quality

Or Contact Community and Public Health

https://www.cph.co.nz/your-health/recreational-water/

For more information on Mahinga kai:

Mahinga Kai

ENDS

Tags

Related topics

Back to Health News

Page last updated: 19 October 2022

Is this page useful?