Covid 19 Omicron outbreak: Taranaki Base and Hāwera hospitals tighten visitor policy

There are 536 new cases of covid-19 Taranaki today. Photo/ NZME

There are 536 new cases of Covid-19 in Taranaki today, bringing the region's total to 2940.

The Taranaki District Health Board (TDHB) says five people are in Taranaki Base Hospital with Covid-19.

With the increasing number of Covid-19 cases, Taranaki Base and Hāwera hospitals are reducing some healthcare services and tightening the hospital visitor policy.

The changes come into effect from today.

The changes include no visitors under the age of 12, unless by prior arrangement.

There is only allowed to be one nominated support person for each patient attending an appointment and one nominated person to visit a patient in hospital within visiting hours.

Additional visitors and whānau will be considered by ward or department manager on a case-by-case basis.

Additional restrictions to visiting in the high-risk clinical areas may be applied to keep people safe.

Visitors can still enter the hospitals any day of the week, but are asked to respect visiting hours between 2pm and 8pm.

Security officers remain on the hospital entrances to meet and greet patients and visitors and carry out Covid-19 screening.

Visitors are asked to scan the QR codes or sign in, sanitise hands and wear a face mask.

Of today's new cases 372 are in north Taranaki, 31 in central Taranaki, 129 in south Taranaki, and four to be confirmed.

A total of 298 vaccinations were administered yesterday; 70 per cent of the eligible population have received their booster and 44 per cent of tamariki have received their first dose.