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

Passenger aboard the Golden Princess cruise ship berthed at Akaroa today being tested for COVID-19

Sunday 15 March 2020Media release1 minute 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.
Passenger aboard the Golden Princess cruise ship berthed at Akaroa today being tested for COVID-19

Passenger aboard the Golden Princess cruise ship berthed at Akaroa today being tested for COVID-19

Passengers on board the Golden Princess are not being allowed off the ship which arrived in Akaroa Harbour this morning.

There are three passengers on board who have been quarantined by the ship’s doctor. One of the three has developed symptoms of COVID-19 and is being treated as a suspected case.  This person will be tested today with results expected tomorrow.

Canterbury District Health Board Medical Officer of Health, Dr Ramon Pink said the public health team is taking a precautionary approach. The three people are in quarantine, and the cruise ship company has been very cooperative.

“We realise this is disappointing news for other passengers and tourism/hospitality operators in Akaroa and Canterbury who were expecting to host the passengers today.  We cannot risk the potential further spread if this person tests positive.

Two of the three people isolated have been in contact with a confirmed case in the past 14 days,” Dr Pink said. 

ENDS

Dr Pink is not available for interviews.

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Page last updated: 17 February 2022

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