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

River of Flowers returns for quake anniversary

Thursday 18 February 2016Media 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.

Cantabrians are being invited to take part in the annual River of Flowers commemoration for the fifth anniversary of the 22 February 2011 earthquake.

Evan Smith from the Avon-Ōtākaro Network says the River of Flowers has become the key way communities come together to commemorate the earthquakes and the impacts they've had.

“The River of Flowers provides an opportunity for people to come together, remember those who experienced loss, and share our hopes for the future,” Evan says.

Using waterways that link to each other shows how different communities are connected and part of something much bigger.”

Evan says five years on it is easy to forget the huge impact the quakes have had on our communities.

“Many people had no choice but to pack up and go, while those in Green Zone properties saw their neighbours leave and had their community forever changed.

“In some parts of our city the River of Flowers is the one day every year where communities get back together, connect with each other, and share their experiences and hopes,” says Evan.

Flourish Inc's Michelle Whitaker, who is managing River of Flowers, says there will be more hosted sites this year than in the four previous years of the commemoration.

“A unique feature of the River of Flowers is that it is driven by each local community. It's great that this year 19 community groups have put themselves forward to host sites along the Avon, Healthcote and Liffey rivers, and at the estuary,” Michelle says.

On Monday (February 22), between 8am and 8pm people will be able to place flowers in the waterways at the sites. Between 12.30pm-1.30pm the sites will be hosted by community groups. Two minutes silence will be held at 12:51pm.

In addition to the sites confirmed so far, there will be an opportunity for those who attend the Civic Memorial Service at the Botanical Gardens to participate at the River of Flowers site on the Avon River at the conclusion of the service.

For a list of River of Flowers sites go to www.healthychristchurch.org.nz

For more information contact Evan Smith: 029 739 9796

ENDS​

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Page last updated: 19 October 2022

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