First hospital case in Taranaki
Taranaki has its first coronavirus-related hospitalisation.
Four new cases were announced on Saturday, taking the total to 11 confirmed and one probable.
But there were no new Taranaki cases yesterday, when the national total rose by 63 to 514 and the country reported its first coronavirus-related death.
A West Coast woman in her 70s died yesterday of Covid-19.
Of the new cases announced yesterday, 60 were confirmed and three were probable, while 56 people have recovered.
Taranaki’s latest cases were a
71-year-old man who recently travelled to the United Kingdom, and a 26-year-old man with recent travel history to the United Kingdom, Dubai and Bali.
A third man, aged 55, had recently travelled to Europe, while the fourth case, a 31-yearold woman, had also been overseas, although where she had been was not revealed.
Taranaki DHB’s chief medical advisor Dr Greg Simmons said one of the four new cases was at Taranaki Base Hospital receiving treatment. The man is in a stable condition.
Simmons said the Public Health team had made contact with the latest cases and were getting detail for their close contacts.
He said there was no evidence, as yet, of community transmission in Taranaki.
However, he warned everyone to stay within their isolation bubble and remain at home.
‘‘This breaks the chain of infection and stops the virus spreading.’’
While on lockdown people are able to exercise in their neighbourhood or travel to essential services such as supermarkets or pharmacies. All other activities have been prohibited.
Taranaki police have pulled over a number of motorists for non-essential reasons and surfers have been continually seen out on the waves.
Meanwhile, a visitor ban has been placed on Taranaki hospitals.
Taranaki District Health
Board (TDHB) announced on Friday its health facilities, including Taranaki Base and Hawera Hospitals, were now heavily restricted and a temporary novisitors policy had been implemented.
However, there were a few exceptions to the policy, which includes the neonatal unit and the paediatrics ward, which will allow for one parent or guardian only.
In the labour and maternity wards, one significant other is allowed, and one nominated person could support a terminal patient through end of life care.
In exceptional circumstances other support people may be granted access at the clinical nurse manager or another lead clinician’s discretion.
Taranaki DHB chief operating officer Gillian Campbell said all visitors would undergo screening before they were allowed to enter the care environment.
To help limit the number of people in emergency departments, St John Ambulance has also changed its rules.
Family members or support persons are no longer able to accompany patients in the back of the ambulance, St John medical director, Dr Tony Smith, has announced.
However, exceptions would be made on ‘‘compassionate grounds’’, for example when children were being transported or the patient was ‘‘gravely ill’’, he said. But even in those instances, only one family member would be allowed to travel with them.