Covid-19 and Respiratory Illnesses

Hospital Requirements

We welcome patients, visitors, and whānau to our hospital. Please ensure that you:

• are well when you enter our hospital – please stay home if you have any symptoms of COVID-19 or other respiratory illnesses (seasonal influenza, RSV). If you are booked for surgery and you develop COVID-19 symptoms, please ring us at (03) 548 8566
• surgical mask is not mandated in our hospital but encouraged. If you prefer to wear one, there will be available masks for you to use
• use hand sanitiser when entering the hospital

Hand sanitiser is available throughout the hospital; the use of hand sanitiser has been proven to reduce the transmission of viruses and bacteria.

Rapid Antigen testing (RAT) is encouraged for all patients before admission. If the results come back:

• Negative – please let the admission nurse know of these results on admission.
• Positive – please call Manuka Street Hospital as soon as possible to discuss the course of action.

You will receive a symptom screening message 3-4 days before your admission. If you answer YES to any of the questions, either ring Manuka Street Hospital, or one of the nurses will get in touch with you about this. The stand down after a COVID-19 infection is 2-3 weeks, provided all symptoms have been resolved. The nurses will get in touch with you regarding this.

If on admission, the nurses deem it necessary to conduct a RAT, this will be performed under nurse supervision before sedation or anaesthesia to ensure your safety. Patients who test positive via a RAT, on arrival, will most likely be deferred.

Please note that visitor restrictions have been removed. However, if a patient has a caregiver, the caregiver must have the same RAT requirement as the patients they are accompanying. Caregivers are people who will remain with the patient until they are in theatre. Visitors/Support people may support patients until they leave our Central Admission area; they will be re-united in our Ward or in Day Stay Discharge.

If you have any questions, please ring Manuka Street Hospital at (03) 548 8566.

Thank you for your assistance and support.