Wairarapa Hospital has Covid capacity, but no ICU, as second Masterton case recorded

Wairarapa Hospital has no Intensive Care Units, authorities have confirmed. Photo / 123rf

Health authorities assure Wairarapa Hospital has the capacity to manage Covid cases, in spite of having no intensive care units.

It comes as a second positive case of Covid-19 was recorded in Masterton, in addition to one reported yesterday but that comes under today's official figures.

The two were part of 222 new Covid-19 cases announced around the country on Tuesday.

Officials are investigating a common link between cases reported in Taupo, Tararua and Masterton.

A statement provided in the 1pm update said both cases in Masterton were currently in isolation, after first identified through targeted testing after a Taupo case visited the region on the weekend of November 6 and 7.

A total of 511 tests were carried out across Wairarapa yesterday, and the region is only 247 doses away from seeing 90 per cent of its eligible population having had their first dose of vaccine. 78 per cent of the eligible population is fully vaccinated.

A spokeswoman from Wairarapa DHB said there were no Intensive Care Units at the region's hospital, but they had processes in place to manage Covid-positive patients.

She said Wairarapa Hospital has a six-bed High Dependency Unit and seven negative pressure rooms.

It also has four High Dependency Unit ventilators and six non-invasive ventilators.

A regional plan is in place for patients they could not accommodate at the hospital.

"It is common practice for special care patients to be transferred from Wairarapa Hospital to our neighbouring tertiary hospitals," she said.

"We are continually planning our hospital and community response, with multiple agencies participating."

"A Delta outbreak will involve a wide raft of support services, outside of hospital and primary care."

At nearby hospitals, Hutt Valley has four resourced beds in Intensive Care or High Dependency Units while Capital and Coast DHB has 22.

It comes as Wellington City reaches the 90 per cent fully vaccinated milestone, which Capital and Coast DHB confirmed on Monday afternoon.

Te Ora Compass health Covid Operational Clinical lead Jo Fowler said she was "absolutely thrilled" and thanked everyone in Wellington for doing their bit getting vaccinated.

Wellington City passed the 90 per cent fully vaccinated milestone on Monday. Photo / 123rf

"Wellington has been behind us the whole way through so it's just been a process of getting the right people vaccinated at the right time," she said.

"It's been lots of work and we've still got a way to go. Our measure of success is obviously getting everybody – including Māori and Pasifika - to 90 per cent as well so we're continuing to focus on that."

She said the vaccination rate for Māori in Wellington City was currently 78 per cent, and 79 per cent of Pasifika had both jabs.

"We're working on that and we're hearing some incredible stories of people coming through who previously were hesitant," she said.

"We're thrilled and we're looking forward to seeing those numbers come up in the next few weeks."

Capital and Coast had 94 per cent of its eligible population with one dose and 86 per cent fully vaccinated.

Hutt Valley DHB was at 91 per cent first dose and 80 per cent fully vaccinated.