Coronavirus: Whanganui DHB opens Covid-19 emergency operations centre

The emergency operations centre is helping prepare Whanganui DHB staff for a more local response. Photo / Lewis Gardner

Whanganui District Health Board has opened its emergency operations centre (EOC) in response to the coronavirus outbreak despite there being no confirmed cases in the region.

The DHB is working with the Ministry of health, the health and social services sector, iwi and local Civil Defence and Emergency Management teams for a community-wide response.

Eight people in the region have been tested for the virus but have all come back with negative results.

The EOC is based at Whanganui Hospital and is staffed by the DHB and Whanganui Regional Health Network.

EOC controller Louise Allsopp said opening the centre would help with a more co-ordinated response to what was happening nationally.

"Everyone in the EOC team has defined roles to help the response run smoothly," she said.

"It's been a busy time for our staff as no doubt it has for many people in our region. We are working really well together as a team to prepare for what might happen nationally and in the Whanganui region."

There was anxiety in the community and it was a challenging time for everyone," she said.

"Staff who work in the hospital and in community and primary health are used to infection control measures in their day-to-day work and have experience and expertise in this area."

Allsopp believed the community had responded well to continued hygiene practices.

"We can't talk about good hygiene practices enough. We also encourage people to visit the Ministry of Health's COVID-19 page for accurate national information and to go to the WDHB Facebook page where we will share regional messages."

What you need to know

If you suspect you are unwell, please call the COVID-19 Healthline on 0800 358 5453. For the latest updates from the Ministry of Health please visit health.govt.nz/Covid-19.