Forty-two patients and 18 visitors at Auckland’s Middlemore Hospital have been identified so far as contacts of a Covid-19 case who visited the ED twice this week.
The person who contracted the virus first went to the ED on Monday, October 4 for a non-Covid-related issue. They answered no to all screening questions and was asymptomatic.
They stayed at the ED until they were assessed and discharged.
The person then went to the ED again on Thursday, October 7.
After a discussion with medical staff, the person was isolated, tested, and moved to a negative pressure room.
They subsequently tested positive for the virus.
Auckland Regional Public Health Service said although the person was asymptomatic on Monday, the period they were infectious included this date.
ARPHS said they were “acting out of an abundance of caution” in identifying potential contacts.
No staff were required to stand down because they were wearing appropriate PPE.
“While there have been a number of exposure events at Middlemore, this is not unexpected as there are a number of subclusters in South Auckland, for which Middlemore is the local hospital,” ARPHS said.
It comes one week after two other people turned up at Middlemore Hospital and subsequently tested positive for Covid-19.
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