15 Feb 2021, 13:27

Under Alert Level 2, which again came into force at 11.59pm (14 February), Hawke’s Bay DHB has revised its visitor policy. This applies to all of its facilities. 

Hawke’s Bay Hospital’s Emergency Department will have a strict no visitor or support person policy in place. 

Chief operating officer Chris Ash said the size of the ED waiting room made it impossible to maintain physical distancing from other patients if there were visitors and support people in such a small area.  Discretion would be applied for children and people who had special care needs or disabilities, he said. 

In other ward hospital areas and rural facilities, it will be one visitor at a time, but more than one person will be able to visit during the day, but each person can only visit once a day. 

It was vitally important no one visited family or friends in hospital if they were sick. Visiting hours between 1-8pm would be enforced, Mr Ash said. 

All visitors must sign-in using the COVID tracer app or provide their details on arrival.  Visitors can bring their own cloth mask. If they forget to bring  a mask one would be provided. 

Hawke’s Bay Hospital’s café, Zac’s, will be closed to the public, however the hospital chapel will remain open, but limit the number of people inside. 

For people coming to a DHB facility for an outpatient, radiology, or laboratory appointment, they should come alone, unless they were advised to bring someone with them.  Exceptions applied to children and/or anyone with a disability or needing assistance. 

Patients can still use DHB owned iPad to video call family members from a bedside stand using the DHB’s free Wi-Fi if they wished to virtually visit family who lived out of the region or overseas, he said.

Visitors should follow social distancing rules and make sure their hands were thoroughly washed or cleaned with hand sanitiser before and after visiting.