COVID-19 Daily media update - Wednesday 18 March 2020

First positive test for COVID-19 in Southland
An Invercargill man in his 40s has tested positive for COVID-19, following his return from travelling overseas to Australia.
 
This is the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Southland, and the fourth in the Southern district.
 
The man is at home with his family, and all are in self-isolation.
 
Contact tracing is now underway, and we are requesting close contacts stay in self isolation for 14 days from the date of potential exposure.
 
As part of this process Southern DHB is alerting people who may have been in locations in Southland where they may have come into contact with the individual. It is important for public health teams to notify the public about the movements of infectious cases to maintain awareness of possible transmission and ensure everyone monitors their own health.
 
The following locations relate to possible casual contacts by members of the public that can’t be identified through contact tracing. Casual contacts are people who may have come into contact with the individual, but for less than 15 minutes and/or at a distance of less than two metres.
 
The risk in these instances is considered to be low. Those who believe they may have come into contact with the case are advised to monitor their health and call Healthline on 0800 358 5453  if they develop symptoms such as a cough, fever, sore throat or difficulty breathing.
 

Testing for Logan Park students
Tracing at Logan Park has resulted in around 150 close contacts of a Dunedin student being identified, they are in self-isolation.

After discussion with the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor, the Ministry of Health's Chief Science Advisor and our local Medical Officer of Health, and because this was the first positive case in a school, we have been testing these close contacts.  

This is a unique situation and the decision to test the contacts is part of a precautionary response.

Call to community to help stamp out the disease

Southern DHB Chief Executive Chris Fleming says the DHB has been preparing for the arrival of the disease in our district and again commended those who have provided care and supported the public health response.

“Our thoughts are with all of those who have been diagnosed with this illness in our community. We ask they are supported and that their privacy is respected.”

Mr Fleming again called upon the community to play its part in stamping the disease out.

“We need you to help ensure the health system is able to support those who need care.

“All our efforts need to be on stopping the spread, or at least slowing it to a manageable rate.

“Anyone who feels at all unwell should stay away from work, school or any other institution.

“If you are asked to self-isolate, please do so. This is so important to stopping or slowing the spread of this disease.
“Call Healthline on 0800 358 5453 if you have any symptoms and have undertaken any overseas travel in the past 14 days, or have been in close contact with someone confirmed with COVID-19. Please do not go directly to the Emergency Department or your GP. We are aware that Healthline is very busy and it may take time for your call to be answered. Please be patient as this is very important.”

“Please also assist by following the advice from the Ministry of health and sharing the messages from the Ministry of Health as widely as possible. We all need to work together to prevent community transmission and we thank you for your support and cooperation.”

Call Healthline on 0800 358 5453 if you have any symptoms and have undertaken any overseas travel in the past 14 days, or have been in close contact with someone confirmed with COVID-19. Please do not go directly to the Emergency Department or your GP.
 
 

Postponement of Elective Surgeries

Dunedin Hospital is postponing elective surgery over the next three days to allow for theatre staff and surgeons to plan and undertaken preparations for providing acute surgery to patients WHO may have confirmed, or are suspected of having, COVID-19. 

The hospital has designated a ward area in which patients with COVID-19 will be looked after.  This area is being prepared, staff are being trained and current patients are being transferred to other wards. 

Community Based Assessment Centres (CBACS)

We are following national direction to establish Community-Based Assessment Centres and/or designated practices across our district for people where COVID-19 is suspected. We are progressing with these changes, and training is currently underway for staff who will be working at these facilities. Further details will be shared as soon as possible.

We are establishing Community Based Assessment Centres (CBACs) across our district as required, initially in Dunedin, Invercargill and Queenstown, and other centres.

Criteria and protocol for access to these facilities is also being established, and will be communicated when CBACs are operational. This is of particular significance because of the high importance that this resource is solely dedicated to the screening of possible COVID-19 patients who meet the case definitions.

However, it is important that people concerned about COVID-19 continue to ring Healthline in the first instance.  People are asked not to present to health care providers unannounced. Their first step should always be to ring Healthline, which will provide a referral and advice.

Maternity Services

Users of the Southern district’s maternity services will notice some changes implemented to keep mothers, babies and health care staff safe and to lower the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

While the Southern DHB has an overarching plan, every maternity facility also has its own plan for dealing with COVID-19.

Our COVID-19 plans have been developed with the input of Infectious Diseases, Public Health, as well as our midwifery and obstetric leadership.  These plans include how we would look after pregnant women who need maternity care and who are affected by COVID-19.   These women will be cared for separately from other patients.

We have also made other changes to keep mothers, babies, midwives and other maternity providers safe. 

At Dunedin Hospital, Southland Hospital and Lakes District Hospital, our maternity wards are allowing one nominated support person/visitor per woman for the duration of their stay in the maternity ward.  We are also asking that women identify whether they have had recent international travel, contact with a COVID-19 infected person, or COVID-19 symptoms, prior to a midwife visit or coming into a maternity facility.

Limiting the number of support people is not something we would do in normal circumstances, but in these exceptional circumstances we feel it is the responsible thing to do.

In the community LMC midwives are screening women before visits.  We ask that prior to a visit, women contact their LMC midwife if they have come into contact with COVID-19 infected person, have undertaken international travel in the last 14 days, or have COVID-19 symptoms.  If they have any questions, or doubt, we encourage them to ring Healthline.

Pregnant women are no higher risk than the rest of the population in relation to COVID-19.  There is only one reported case of transmission to a new-born. 

We appreciate the cooperation of all our healthcare providers and pregnant women and whanau to keep everyone safe.

Information on how to protect yourself and others can be found on the Ministry of Health's website.

Preventative measures people need to take are basic hygiene and cough/sneeze etiquette and practices to reduce the general risk of acute respiratory infections.

These are:

• regularly washing hands (for at least 20 seconds with warm water and soap and dry thoroughly)

• covering your mouth and nose when you sneeze

• staying home if you are sick

• avoiding close contact with anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms

• if you feel unwell you should avoid public gatherings and events.

Aged Care Facilities

Aged care facilities have infection prevention and control plans and routinely activate these for a variety of illnesses.

SDHB expects them to be following the Ministry of Heath guidelines on restricting visitors, and different facilities are managing those restrictions in different ways to keep their residents safe.

We are aware that aged care facilities have themselves already taken precautionary measures to restrict non-essential visits and suspend communal activities.

We are working together with our aged care facilities towards achieving the best outcomes for older people, their families and whanau.

ENDS.