Three people who presented to Middlemore Hospital in recent days have on Saturday night tested positive for Covid-19.
There are two potential locations noted as potential exposure sites, including the hospital's Birthing and Assessment Unit and the Kidz First emergency department, according to the Ministry of Health.
One of the new positive cases announced on Saturday evening includes a woman who had been discharged from the hospital’s Birthing and Assessment Unit on September 8 following a routine antenatal assessment, the Health Ministry said.
She underwent Covid-19 testing after developing symptoms the following day.
The Counties Manukau DHB was informed of her positive result this afternoon.
She had been asymptomatic and had indicated that she had not been exposed, or had symptoms of, Covid-19. She also had not visited any locations of interest.
The woman is now in a managed isolation facility.
The Auckland Regional Public Health Service has deemed that some staff members and patients are considered contacts.
The Counties Manukau DHB is now in the process of establishing how many patients will be deemed contacts and will contact them to ensure they are informed and able to isolate safely.
They are also working with Occupational Health and ARPHS to understand the contact status of any impacted staff, and the related requirements.
Meanwhile, a parent and their five-month-old baby who arrived at Middlemore Hospital’s Kidz First emergency department yesterday afternoon have also returned positive Covid-19 results.
The parent and their child are under the management of ARPHS.
The parent had indicated that they had no exposure to Covid-19 nor had visited any locations of interest relating to screening contact questions.
However, the child was identified as being symptomatic by clinical staff in triage.
The child was managed under Middlemore Hospital’s Covid pathways, which is in place for all Covid-suspect patients, the Health Ministry said. Part of this process includes undergoing a Covid swab.
As a hospital admission for the presentation was not required, the parent and their child were discharged and advised to isolate at home.
All staff were wearing the appropriate PPE, including N95 masks and goggles. As such, no staff members are required to stand down.
All presentations to the emergency department are socially distanced and adults are required to wear a mask.
Daily case numbers have more than doubled to 23 while unlinked cases have risen to 36, up seven from Friday.
However, ARPHS is investigating five potential contacts out of an abundance of caution.
People have been encouraged to get tested if they have symptoms.
More information on both these cases will be available tomorrow.
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