Gore Hospital Covid-19 outbreak halts new patient admissions and visitors

A Covid-19 outbreak at Gore Hospital has prompted restrictions on admissions and visitor access. Photo / File

A Covid-19 outbreak has been confirmed at Gore Hospital, prompting restrictions on admissions and visitor access.

Gore Health chief executive Karl Metzler said testing on the hospital’s inpatient ward on December 28 confirmed six patients were Covid-positive, with three nursing staff also reporting symptoms.

As a result, the hospital is currently not accepting additional patients.

Gore Health is a community-owned facility and operates independently of Te Whatu Ora.

Metzlaff said staff were following standard infection prevention and control measures used for transmissible outbreaks.

These include limiting visitors to the inpatient area and introducing mandatory mask use within the facility.

“There have not been any deaths to date,” he said.

He added that while precautions were being taken to minimise any wider risk, the measures were largely focused on protecting patients and staff within the hospital.

According to Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora, 736 Covid 19 cases have been reported in the last 30 days, with 171 reported in the last seven.

Ben Tomsett is a multimedia journalist based in Dunedin. He joined the Herald in 2023.