29 STOOD DOWN
AUCKLAND: Twentynine staff at Middlemore Hospital, in Auckland, are close contacts of a Covid19 case and have been stood down for 14 days, the Ministry of Health said last night.
Eleven of the 29 staff are doctors, 13 are registered nurses, two are healthcare assistants, and the others are a phlebotomist, cleaner and ward clerk.
Four wards are closed to any new admissions and all patients are being managed under strict infection and prevention control measures, including the full use of PPE, and treated as Covid19 exposed.
A patient went to the Middlemore Emergency Department at 5pm on Saturday with abdominal pains. When asked questions, the patient denied having contact with Covid19 or having been in a location of interest, the ministry said.
The patient later developed a fever, was confirmed to have Covid19 and was shifted to a dedicated Covid19 ward.
Three patients who initially shared a room with the case are now in single isolation rooms.
Potentially exposed patients at present on the wards are being checked daily for symptoms and tested on days 3, 5 and 12.
The ministry said last night a ‘‘national process’’ was under way across all district health boards to identify and send staff to Auckland to support the Covid19 response.
Earlier yesterday, a top USbased epidemiologist said Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had been poorly advised over saliva testing.
Yale researcher Dr Anne Wyllie, who is a New Zealander, had previously criticised the Government over monthslong delays in using quicker and less invasive saliva testing to get on top of Covid19 outbreaks.
But the Ministry of Health has persisted with PCR nasal swabs which take much longer to yield a result and therefore slow down the detection of outbreaks. Dr Wyllie said Ms Ardern had been given poor advice.
‘‘There’s so much misinformation out there even amongst the Government that I’ve even heard on some of the daily briefings,’’ she said.
‘‘Things that are just downright wrong are being said by the prime minister with regards to saliva testing so misinformation amongst the Government prevails.’’
Later yesterday, Ms Ardern confirmed the ministry was in negotiations with a company to use saliva testing on those crossing the Auckland boundary during Level 4 lockdown.
There were 21 new community cases of Covid19 in the country yesterday. —