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Key Messages 

Make sure you and your household prepare and have a plan ready for if you are required to isolate at home. More information about creating a plan and getting prepared is available here. 

·                 You can be infected with COVID-19 more than once. Many people throughout Southern and Aotearoa are now discovering this. Please be vigilant when out in the community and wear a mask, practise good hand hygiene and physical distancing where appropriate.   

·                 It is not too late to get your COVID-19 booster. Apart from mask wearing, a COVID-19 booster dose is your best form of defence against severe COVID-19 infection. It takes about two weeks after vaccination for the body to build full protection against COVID-19, so the time to act is now. 

·                 It is now more important than ever to wear a mask when out in public. Wearing a mask is the easiest way you can protect yourself, your whānau, and the vulnerable members of your community from getting COVID-19.  

Recovering from COVID-19  

As you recover from COVID-19, you might find that you get tired easily or become breathless. This is common after being sick. 

You should take it easy as you return to your normal activities. Make sure you:  

·       get plenty of sleep 

·       eat well 

·       rest if you need to 

·       pace yourself. 

If you have any concerns, you should talk to your doctor or healthcare professional. 

For more information please visit the Unite Against COVID-19 website: www.covid19.govt.nz/isolation-and-care/after-you-have-had-covid-19/   

Long COVID-19 

Long COVID describes the symptoms that continue or develop after the initial COVID-19 symptoms. This is usually longer than 12 weeks after a person is first infected. 

Most people who get COVID-19 recover from the acute signs and symptoms within 2 to 4 weeks. And they should be back to all activities they were doing before COVID-19 by 12 weeks.

However, some people report a range of symptoms beyond the standard time of recovery. 

Symptoms of long COVID can persist for weeks or sometimes months. They can include: 

·       fatigue 

·       breathlessness 

·       cough 

·       sore throat 

·       chest tightness 

·       chest pain 

·       difficulty concentrating, cognitive impairment or 'brain fog' 

·       difficulty sleeping 

·       pins and needles 

·       dizziness 

·       joint pain 

·       muscle pain. 

For support with the management and treatment of long COVID, seek help from your doctor or healthcare team. COVID-19 healthcare is fully funded for up to 6 weeks from the first day of your symptoms or the day you test positive, whichever is earlier.  

You can find more information about long COVID, including more commonly reported symptoms, on the Ministry of Health website: 

Long COVID | Ministry of Health 

Hospitalisation figures 

Current hospitalisations as at 3pm 12 Aug 2022    

There are currently 23 inpatients in Dunedin hospital (none in ICU/HDU), 15 in Southland hospital (none in ICU/HDU) and 3 in Gore (none in ICU/HDU). No Covid-19 patients are currently being ventilated. 

Please note that hospitalisation data does not differentiate between patients admitted because of COVID-19 infection versus those admitted for a separate reason who happen to also have COVID-19 (incidental COVID-19 infection).  

The Ministry of Health total figures for Southern for the previous 24 hours are: 

·            251 new positive cases 

·            2257 (not recovered from last 7 days) 

Please note, the Ministry of Health’s daily reported cases may differ slightly from those reported at a DHB or local public health unit level. This is because of different reporting cut off times and the assignment of cases between regions, for example when a case is tested outside their usual region of residence. Total numbers will always be the formal daily case tally as reported to the WHO. Due to the increased use of RATs and system lag issues there may be a discrepancy in the number of total active cases from the territorial authority breakdown. 

A decision has been made nationally that areas with less than 5 new cases per 24-hour period will be reported as “<5”. All territorial authorities with less than 100 cases will have their case numbers rounded to the nearest 5. We are unable to supply further information. Please contact the Ministry of Health directly for more information about these decisions.  

Testing locations and hours of operation can be found on the WellSouth website. 

If you have any questions about COVID-19, self-isolation, or what you need to do if you test positive, please call Healthline on 0800 358 5453. 

If you are self-isolating and require welfare support such as help getting groceries, please call 0800 512 337 Monday-Friday 8am-6pm and Saturday/Sunday/Public Holidays 8am-1pm.  

 For help accessing COVID-19 testing in the Southern region and to find your nearest testing center please call the WellSouth call center on 0800 VIRUS19 (0800 847 8719). 

If you have concerns about COVID-19 symptoms, please call your general practice or Healthline on 0800 358 5453 at any time. If you are very unwell or having breathing difficulties, please call 111 immediately.