Concerns have been raised about the government's COVID messaging after the Launceston General Hospital opened a second ward specifically intended to care for patients with COVID-19.
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In an email sent on January 25, staff at the LGH were advised that ward 3R had been designated a COVID ward.
"As per the THS-N COVID-19 Escalation Management Plan, today Ward 3R has been prepared as an additional COVID-19 ward at the Launceston General Hospital," it read.
The email stated that ward 3R was required to accommodate an increase in COVID-positive admissions to the hospital over the past 24 hours, and would begin accepting patients at 8pm.
Previously, COVID-positive patients at the LGH were being cared for in the Acute Medical Unit.
The email advised the AMU would remain the primary ward for COVID patients needing related treatment.
Deputy Secretary for Community, Mental Health and Wellbeing Dale Webster confirmed an additional ward had been established at the LGH to manage COVID-positive patients - in line with the Tasmanian Health Service's escalation plan.
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He said the ward was being used to manage patients who were in the hospital with COVID-19, but were not being treated for symptoms, but needed to be isolated from non-COVID patients.
The Department of Health did not respond when asked how many beds would be occupied by patients across the two wards.
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation state secretary Emily Shepherd said a second COVID ward being established as the government downplayed the significance of the Omicron strain raised some concerns.
"I think it's not being completely transparent and actually being honest about the total picture," she said.
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Ms Shepherd said the impact of needing more COVID beds meant more pressure would be applied to other departments and staff and called on the government to be more open and transparent around the risk COVID still presented.
"If you're opening a second ward to accommodate COVID hospitalisations, yes it might be mild, but it can also cause significant illness in some individuals, and I think they need to be looking at being more honest and transparent," she said.
"The main concern is that the ward is going to reduce inpatient beds at the LGH and it's going to create further pressure on the ED.
"There have been 57 double shifts worked this January in the LGH ED and that's not including shifts where they worked short-staffed."
On Thursday, Director of Public Health Mark Veitch said with case numbers decreasing to around 600 - 700 he believed the state had passed the peak of the omicron wave and reached a plateau, but expected cases in the community to continue for some time.
Australian Medical Association Tasmania president Dr Helen McArdle said there was some concern that cases could rise once the school year resumed.
"There is a feeling that once schools go back there could be an increase in numbers because of the mixing of children," she said.
"I haven't seen any estimates of how much that increase could be, but there is certainly an anticipation that the numbers might go up."
Mr Webster said all the state's hospitals were currently at COVID-19 escalation level three with demand reviewed regularly.
"We will continue to respond to demand as necessary and will keep escalation actions under review," he said.
Andrew Chounding is The Examiner's Health Reporter, if you have a health-related story please email Andrew.chounding@examiner.com.au
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