Urgent review underway after three nurses contract Covid-19 at Waitākere Hospital

May 1, 2020

Another 54 staff members have been stood down temporarily.

Waitematā DHB is launching an urgent review after three nurses were diagnosed with Covid-19 at one hospital, with 54 other staff members in isolation for two weeks.

In a statement this afternoon, the DHB confirmed the nurses had worked on a ward where Covid-19-positive patients from St Margaret's Hospital and Rest Home were transferred due to staffing shortages at that facility.

They hadn't worked with any other patients during their shifts.

Waitematā DHB deputy chief executive Dr Andrew Brant says it's not yet clear whether the nurses caught Covid-19 from their patients or somewhere else.

"At this point we are doing an urgent review about why these three nurses have contracted Covid," he told 1 NEWS.

"We don't know how these staff actually obtained Covid.. From that [review] we'll take important lessons forward to make sure this doesn't happen again."

The area where the nurses had worked has been closed to new admissions.

Deputy chief executive Dr Andrew Brant says they don't know how the three nurses contracted the virus.

Around 140 staff who had worked in the area have been tested for Covid-19, with 54 temporarily stood down and awaiting test results.

Potentially-impacted patients from the area have also been tested just in case.

Dr Brant says there's no indication patients have been affected.

When it comes to protective gear, Dr Brant says it appears the nurses were all given appropriate PPE and trained in its use.

"The DHB has an auditing programme in place on the appropriate use of PPE for all Covid patients.

Finance Minister Grant Robertson and Director of Public Health Dr Caroline McElnay address media today.

"But these are all things we really need to look into here, to make sure we do keep our staff and our patients safe."

Waitematā DHB says they're considering any other precautionary measures that need to be taken for the patients in those wards who may have come into contact with the coronavirus-positive staff members. 

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