Covid 19 Omicron outbreak: Aged-care centres around the country locked down to protect residents

Retirement villages around the country have temporarily closed their doors to people visiting their aged-care centres as Covid-19 runs rampant in the community.

Ryman Healthcare is not allowing visitors into the aged-care centres in its 38 retirement villages - with the exception of those needing to enter on compassionate grounds - while case numbers continue to grow in the community.

Ryman spokesman David King said Ryman's rest home, hospital and secure dementia care divisions had been closed since Sunday after a growing number of people tested positive for Covid-19 prior to visiting residents last week.

While there had been a couple of residents living in independent or serviced apartments test positive in Auckland, it was not the main trigger for the care centres being locked down.

The healthcare group had learnt a lot from its villages in Australia so was being cautious and putting its residents first, he said.

It was hoped that the restrictions wouldn't be in place too long.

Ryman residents living independently in the villages were unaffected and could still come and go as they pleased.

Staff were also having Rapid Antigen Tests every day as another safety measure.

Meanwhile, Summerset has also only been allowing visitors to its Auckland village care centres on compassionate grounds since Sunday.

It is one of a number of preventative measures Summerset is taking to try and spread in its villages, according to an email sent to residents and their families.

Independent residents living in Summerset's main buildings have also been asked to restrict the number of visitors to one.

The restrictions would be lifted once Auckland had reached its peak number of cases, the email said.