The Southern District Health Board (SDHB) has announced that there is now widespread COVID-19 community infections in both Queenstown and Dunedin.

Anyone who has been out in these communities should be extra vigilant, they said.

After a weekend that saw southern case numbers double (to 484 cases), the SDHB has now decided to also reduce hospital visiting hours to 2pm - 6pm, 7 days a week.

Graphic: SDHB

Southland is also beginning to feel the impact of COVID-19 with Invercargill currently registering 21 active community cases, Southland District 7, and Gore 5.

There are currently 239 close contacts in the Southern district.

SDHB advise that if you receive a text notification that you are positive, you should do the online survey in the link you receive in the text message as soon as possible, to ensure you can receive the appropriate care and support. 

They advise to only go to get tested if you have symptoms or are a close contact and have been advised to get a test.

Reducing your exposure to COVID-19  

Now that we have COVID-19 circulating throughout the Southern community, we are all at risk of being exposed. At all times practice good hygiene, especially when you are socialising. Get your booster, wear your mask, wash your hands, and keep physically distant from others. These actions will slow the spread and help flatten the curve. If you develop cold or flu like symptoms, please isolate and get tested for COVID-19 immediately. 

Change to hospital visiting hours 

From Monday 21 February all hospitals in the Southern district will have a change in visiting hours. 

These hours will be 2pm – 6pm, 7 days a week  

Please plan to visit your family, whānau and friends within this timeframe. 

Moving to digital notifications 

As New Zealand moves into phase 2 of our COVID-19 response we are collectively moving towards digital solutions to contact tracing and self-isolation. Text message notifications to inform someone they have been identified as a case started last week. If you receive a text message, then please click on the link provided and fill your information into the form. This will put you into the system used by the Southern district and New Zealand, for monitoring and follow up. Please fill in this form as soon as possible because it will ensure you get timely help to access the care and support you need. Best of all, the data used is free. 

If you are identified as a case, you can find all the information you need here: https://www.health.govt.nz/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-health-advice-public/advice-people-covid-19 

Testing 

If you have symptoms or have been at a location of interest and have been advised to get tested, please get tested and stay home until you receive a negative test result. Otherwise, you do not need to get tested. It is important that we ensure people who are symptomatic or have been asked to get tested are able to do so. 

Due to our district’s geography, transporting swabs to the appropriate laboratory for testing may take some time – please be patient in waiting for your results. 

Testing locations can be found on the WellSouth website.