HOSPITAL VISITING

All hospital visitors are recommended to wear a medical face mask. For more information about visiting: Visitors and family. See our COVID-19 page for general COVID-19 advice, detailed hospital visiting guidelines and COVID-19 tests.

See West Coast COVID-19 vaccination clinics for info on vaccinations link COVID-19 Vaccination • West Coast • Healthpoint

Last updated:
16 September 2022

Fewer visitor restrictions now apply

For visitors to all facilities (effective from and last updated on 16 September 2022)

Some visitor restrictions for all Te Whatu Ora Te Tai o Poutini West Coast health facilities remain in place, but we have relaxed others.

There is still a heightened risk to vulnerable people in hospital and so people must continue to wear a mask when visiting any of our facilities and follow other advice designed to keep patients, staff and other visitors safe.

Kia whakahaumaru te whānau, me ngā iwi katoa – this is 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 in single rooms may have more than one visitor while patients in multi-bed rooms can have one visitor only per patient to ensure there is no overcrowding.
  • People can have one or two support people to accompany them to outpatients appointments.
  • Women in labour in a birthing suite, in Te Nīkau Hospital’s Maternity Ward and in Buller’s Kawatiri Maternity Unit can have the usual support people, subject to space, for the duration of their stay in our facilities.
  • Eating or drinking at the bedside is at the discretion of the Clinical Nurse Manager. Visitors must not eat or drink in multibed rooms because of the increased risk when multiple people remove their 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.

Mask wearing

  • Surgical/medical masks must be worn at all sites, except in counselling, mental health and addiction services where it’s on a case-by-case agreement with patients. Masks will be provided if you don’t have one. In higher-risk environments, people, including young children, may not be able to visit if they cannot wear a mask.
  • Any member of the public with a mask exemption is welcome in all our facilities when attending to receive health care and *treatment. Please show your mask exemption card and appointment letter to staff at the entrance. *Treatment includes coming into the Emergency Department, outpatient appointments, surgery or a procedure.

Visiting patients with COVID-19

  • People are able to 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.

You must NOT visit our facilities if you

  • are COVID-19 positive
  • are unwell. Please stay home if you have a tummy bug or cold or flu/COVID-19-like symptoms (even if you’ve tested negative for COVID-19).

Te Whatu Ora West Coast Aged Residential Care facilities

Visitors are welcome at our Aged Care Residential facilities, subject to the space available. All visitors must wear a surgical mask.

More COVID-19 information

West Coast location of interest offers a timely reminder to follow public health advice

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  3. West Coast location of interest offers a timely reminder to follow public health advice

Tuesday 18 January 2022Health news2 minutes to read

The addition of a West Coast location of interest to the Ministry of Health’s website offers a timely reminder of the importance of following public health advice.

Medical Officer of Health Dr Matthew Reid, said if you have visited a location of interest, at the time stated on the website please self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms for 10 days after you were exposed. If symptoms develop, get a test and stay at home until you get a negative test result.

“Now’s also a really good time to ensure that when you are out and about you wear a mask or face covering especially indoors, scan in everywhere you go, and show your COVID-19 pass when you need to. Keeping a good record of where you have been makes the job of contact tracers so much easier.

If you develop any COVID-19 symptoms, please arrange to get tested immediately and remain isolated at home or in the accommodation you are staying in. This advice extends to anyone even if they haven’t visited any of the locations of interest. If you’re not sure what you should do, please call Healthline on 0800 358 5453 for advice.

Senior Responsible Officer for COVID-19 at West Coast DHB, Philip Wheble, said in response to the location of interest in Hokitika, we have set up additional testing capacity at the Hokitika Health Centre for the next two days.

Dates

Times

Location

Tuesday, 18 January

· 10.30am – 12pm

· 1.30pm – 3.00pm

Hokitika Health Centre

59 Sewell Street, Hokitika

Wednesday, 19 January

“Testing is free for anyone with COVID-19 symptoms, or who has been advised by Public Health to get tested, but before you come in for a test, please call ahead to your general practice team or Healthline to arrange a suitable time. Contact details of West Coast GP practices are available online – https://www.wcdhb.health.nz/your-health/find-and-enrol-at-a-health-center/

“One of the best things we can all do to protect ourselves, our whānau and our communities is to be fully vaccinated, including having a booster dose if it’s four months since you had your second dose of Pfizer vaccine,” says Mr Wheble.

Vaccination clinic details are available online – here.

ENDS

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Page last updated: 18 January 2022

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