Diana Cocks
13 April 2020, 1:59 AM
With more than 1.7m people infected with COVID-19 throughout the world, New Zealand recorded a new national total of 1349 cases, director-general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield reported today (Monday April 13).
These comprised 15 new confirmed cases and four probable cases.
The death of a man in his 80s in Burwood Hospital in Christchurch is the third death attributed to COVID-19 cluster associated with the Rosewood Rest Home. Two other members of this cluster died at Burwood last weekend.
The man was one of 20 rest home patients transferred to Burwood last week to better manage the health of the cluster of 33 COVID-19 cases associated with Rosewood. Of the 33 confirmed and probable cases, 13 are Rosewood residents and 18 are staff.
“We know that, because of the underlying vulnerabilities of members of this group, we need to be prepared for further serious illness and possible deaths,” Ashley said.
He said this group at Burwood were receiving the same high-level of psychogeriatric support and care in Burwood as they were receiving originally at Rosewood, “including end-of-life or palliative care”.
All staff involved in the transfer of the residents to Burwood were using appropriate personal protection equipment, Ashley said.
“What it does show is that even with PPE this does not automatically prevent people from becoming infected….It is not a failsafe,” he said. As a result, wide testing of all staff involved in this cluster and others at Burwood Hospital will occur this week.
Ashley said there were 15 COVID-19 patients in hospitals around the country; four are in intensive care units and one of these (in Dunedin Hospital) remains in critical condition.
Another 75 people have recovered from COVID-19 bringing the total of recovered cases to 546.
The number of clusters around New Zealand has also increased with two new clusters; one in an aged residential care facility in Auckland and the other in Christchurch. Each has only just reached the threshold for clusters of 10 cases so far.
The total number of people who have been tested for COVID-19 exceeds 62,800. Although testing over the Easter holiday break remained low this was expected to change this week.
Ashley said while alert level four was in place the opportunity to transmit a range of respiratory illnesses, including influenza and common colds, was lower.
“So we would expect fewer people with symptoms that might be suggestive of COVID-19 seeking care and therefore testing,” he said.
There are now 77 community based assessment centres (CBACs) and 54 designated general practices, swabbing centres and mobile clinics open for testing around the country, he said.
PHOTO: Supplied