Wairarapa Hospital is still at Alert Level Red and this is being reviewed daily.
The reason for this, is that like many other hospitals and workplaces throughout Aotearoa, we have staff who are away because they are Covid positive, unplanned absences and a daily average of three Covid positive inpatient cases in the hospital.
Our adult bed capacity in Wairarapa Hospital has been stretched with more than 95 percent occupancy some days.
More importantly, our testing at the front door has continued to find between 2-4 positive cases each day over the last week or so, but with the testing and restriction processes we have in place, we continue not to have transmission within the hospital wards.
Once we see these numbers reduce further and more consistently, we will reduce the hospital status and testing/visitor procedures.
We are also aware that there is a nationally shift to more elderly becoming Covid positive and they represent the larger part of our inpatient numbers.
The elderly are one of our very vulnerable populations and we have a responsibility to keep measures in place to protect and keep them safe while in our care.
