The 4th floor of Dunedin Public Hospital has been closed to new admissions and visitors following 4 patients' testing positive for COVID-19.

The breach in the hospital's COVID-free green zone happened on Friday 18 March after a patient tested positive, following their transfer from Dunedin hospital to one of Southern DHB's (SDHB) rural trust hospitals.

SDHB operates a red and green streaming system in an attempt to isolate COVID positive patients from non-COVID patients.

The asymptomatic patient had shared a four-bedded unit at Dunedin's Ward 4C.

All patient's of Ward 4C subsequently tested positive, although all remain asymptomatic.

SDHB is now testing all patients, and their close contacts, on the 4th floor of Dunedin Public Hospital, as well as any staff that have worked there in the last five days.

In a separate incident 3 patients of Ward 10A, SDHB's secure intellectual disability ward at Wakari, have tested positive for COVID following a patient's admission on Thursday 17th March.