Christchurch Hospital is under increasing pressure as it continues to be inundated with patients suffering from Covid-19.
The hospital currently has 112 Covid patients inside, the highest since the pandemic began, and the number is climbing.
"Canterbury has been leading the numbers across the nation so we have already seen a steady rise in Canterbury for some time," Health NZ Canterbury's Becky Hickmott told 1News.
Wastewater results remain high, with infections in Christchurch spreading.
"It was a bit of a shock and then it developed to a really bad headache, chills, couldn't get out of bed," recently-recovered Covid patient Georgia McClung told 1News.
There was another risk too - McClung is 14 weeks pregnant.
"Luckily I've been able to have a scan since then and everything is fine, but they do like to keep an eye on it in the future in terms of growth," she said.
Christchurch Hospital is at 112% capacity and has around 300 staff off sick with Covid.
Hickmott said it meant patients were flowing into other wards.
Those waiting for elective surgery are paying the ultimate price, with all non-urgent procedures in Canterbury postponed until the end of August, adding to an already long waiting list.
And buckle up, Covid modellers predict the ride is far from over.
"It's going to be years really that we sort of see this dynamic pan out with waves potentially occurring several times a year," modeller Michael Plank said.
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