Coronavirus

Click here for our latest Hawke's Bay COVID-19 news updates and information 

 

On this page:

 

Current COVID-19 response

Most COVID-19 rules have now ended. 

The COVID-19 Protection Framework has now ended, along with several other COVID-19 public health measures as at 11.59pm on 12 September 2022.

The COVID-19 response will remain active and operating in the background, with fewer restrictions on individuals. This will mean that:

  • Only people who test positive for COVID-19 will be required to isolate for seven days. Household contacts are recommended to take a RAT test every day for five days. So long as they test negative, they will be able to go about daily life as normal.
  • All mask requirements will be removed, except for visitors in certain healthcare settings including primary care, urgent care, hospitals, aged residential care, disability-related residential care and pharmacies but not in counselling, mental health and addiction services.
  • Some places, such as workplaces, special events, or marae may ask people to wear a mask as a condition of entry. This will be at their discretion and no longer a Government requirement. People are encouraged to respect those who continue to keep wearing masks for the protection they offer against COVID-19.
  • All remaining Government vaccine mandates will end. The last workforce with a Government vaccine mandate is health and disability workers. This will end on 11:59pm, 26 September 2022. Some employers may still require workers to be vaccinated due to their responsibilities under health and safety legislation.
  • Vaccination and testing requirements for all travellers arriving into New Zealand will also end, including air crew, from 11:59pm, 12 September. People arriving in New Zealand from overseas will continue to receive free RATs at the airport and will be encouraged to test on day 0/1 and 5/6.
  • Anti-viral medicines will be available for free to any New Zealander 65 and over who tests positive for COVID-19. For Māori and Pacific peoples, these medicines will be available for free to anyone aged 50 and over. In addition, anyone with three high-risk conditions is eligible for free anti-viral medicines.
  • 40,000 additional courses of anti-viral medicines have been purchased by the Government and they are expected to enter New Zealand in the coming weeks.

FAQs 

FAQs regarding moving into the new phase of COVID-19 can be found here.  

For information on staying safe with the new COVID-19 changes see here.

COVID-19 reinfection advice update

The Ministry of Health has updated its advice for those who experience COVID-19 symptoms more than 28 days after having had COVID-19. If a person develops new COVID-19 symptoms, and it is 29 days or more since their previous infection, it is possible that they are experiencing a COVID-19 reinfection and they should get tested.

Read more

COVID-19 Health Services Impact Update

Some health services are being deferred or significantly reduced due to COVID-19, as our health system responds to growing cases in our hospital and community.

Health professionals are being redeployed to support specialist areas of high volume and need (such as ED) so patients with emergency and acute care needs stay well cared for.  Support staff are also being redeployed to other areas of high need, such as helping to support welfare hubs across the rohe.

Thank you for your understanding as temporary changes are introduced to manage patient and staff safety. 

COVID-19 testing centres in Hawke's Bay

It's important that you get tested, even if you are fully vaccinated as vaccinated people can get mild symptoms.

Please get tested if:

  • you are feeling unwell with cold or flu symptoms, no matter how mild the symptoms
  • you are a Household Contact of a positive case.

If you are unsure if you should get tested, contact Healthline anytime for free advice about whether you need to get tested: 0800 358 5453.

How do I get a test?

To access free Rapid Antigen Tests please go to the RAT requester site https://requestrats.covid19.health.nz/ (or phone 0800 222 478) and choose your local collection site where you can pick up your RAT kits.

Alternatively, you can have a free supervised test by booking an appointment at a participating Testing Centre. You do not need to be an enrolled patient to get a test. Visit https://www.healthpoint.co.nz/covid-19/hawkes-bay/ for locations, open hours and more information.

For people who are not unwell or a household contact but want to get a RAT for other purposes, such as to visit an elderly relative, there are retail options now, including some supermarkets and other stores.

Reporting your result

Please use My Covid Record to report a rapid antigen test (RAT) that you have performed. After you log in, the button to report a RAT can be found at the bottom of the homepage.

Watch this video to see how to report a RAT test

You can expect 3 types of results from your RAT.

  1. detected
  2. not-detected
  3. failed.

There are instructions on what to do after each of these.

If you have any questions about your RAT or My Covid Record: Email help@mycovidrecord.min.health.nz or phone 0800 222 478

Find out more about Rapid Antigen Tests 

 

Hawke's Bay case update

As we have reached the end of winter it is great to see Hawke’s Bay’s daily, active and hospitalisation case numbers of COVID-19 continue to decline.

Hawke’s Bay’s case information will now be published here on Fridays only.

In the last five days there has been 128 new cases of COVID-19 to report in Hawke’s Bay including 60 in Hastings, 47 in Napier, 19 in Central Hawke’s Bay and two in Wairoa.

Today there are two people in Hawke's Bay hospital with COVID-19

COVID-19 vaccination information

Click here for Hawke's Bay COVID-19 vaccine information including clinic information

 

Current visitor policy

All Hawke’s Bay DHB facilities, including Wairoa Hospital, Napier Health and Central Hawke’s Bay Health Centre, currently have a limited-visitor policy to protect our patients and staff and limit the spread of COVID-19. 

  • Visiting hours are 1-8pm.
  • Currently no children under 16 years of age are allowed on the wards.

Masks required for outpatients and visitors

  • Outpatients: outpatient appointment patients including radiology and laboratory should come alone, unless they require a support person. Exceptions to this are a parent/guardian accompanying a child under 16 years or people who have a disability and/or need assistance. Discretion may be applied on a case-by-case basis. Outpatients and any support person must wear a medical grade surgical mask.
  • All visitors to Hawke’s Bay and Wairoa Hospitals along with Central Hawke’s Bay Medical Centre’s inpatient unit must wear disposable medical grade surgical masks.
  • Exemptions for visitors cannot be accepted, except where the visitor is a support person for a patient requiring advocacy such as a child under 16 or a patient who is seriously unwell or with diminished capacity.
  • If you do not bring a mask one will be provided for you.

Visitor policy by area:

Emergency Department (ED):

  • One parent or guardian, or person acting as a kaitiaki (partner in care) can support a patient while they are receiving care inside the Emergency Department.

ED waiting room

  • When the ED waiting room is busy, we may not be able to accommodate all support people due to limited space.
  • To protect patients, whānau and staff, at times a support person may need to wait elsewhere. Thank you for your understanding.

*Priority will be given to parents and guardians and those acting in a kaitiaki capacity.

Wards tower block, Intensive Care Unit and Ngā Rau Rākau mental health services

  • One visitor at a time. More than one person will be able to visit each day, but each person can only visit once a day.

Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU): only parents can visit.

Maternity delivery-suite: two support people are allowed during labour and birth.

Maternity post-natal: one support person plus one visitor at a time, and only one visit a day. 

Outpatients: outpatient appointment patients including radiology and laboratory should come alone, unless they require a support person. Exceptions to this are a parent/guardian accompanying a child under 16 years or people who have a disability and/or need assistance. Discretion may be applied on a case-by-case basis. Outpatients and any support person must wear a medical grade surgical mask.


Visitors to Zac’s café must adhere to strict mask wearing and hand hygiene protocols ie; wearing a mask at all times, sanitising hands and maintaining physical distancing.

By adhering to these conditions, you help keep our patients, staff, yourself and other visitors safe. We thank you for your patience and understanding as our staff work hard to protect and care for some of the most vulnerable in our community.

Visitors are encouraged to take the most direct route to the department they need to access and to take responsibility for their health and wellbeing by ‘checking in’ using the COVID-19 app QR code at entrances, washing their hands and following staff instructions on mask usage.

If visitors have cold, flu or COVID-19 symptoms, do not visit — stay home and call your doctor or Healthline on 0800 358 5453 for advice about getting tested.

 

Look after yourself

It is important to look after your mental health and wellbeing as well as your physical health. It is okay to feel stressed or anxious.

For advice about taking care of yourself visit the COVID-19 Health Hub.

 

Welfare and mental health support

It’s OK to ask for help. As we work through this together, there are people and agencies able to support you. 

Services and support available [PDF]
This fact sheet has a range of advice, help, or support if you need it. If you don’t speak English, you can ask for an interpreter when calling most government departments.

Access to food or essential items [PDF]
We all need food and essential items such as medicine through COVID-19 lockdowns, so please don’t try to go without. This fact sheet has information about the many ways of getting food and other essential items to you.

 

Mental health support 

The following apps, e-therapy tools, offer practical mental health support: