Patient visits at the LGH limited to one visitor and 30 minutes

The escalation from level two to three follows an uptake in transmission across the state which has seen COVID-related hospital cases rise.

On Saturday, 89 people were in the state's hospitals with COVID-19, with twenty-four people being treated specifically for the virus, while two patients were being treated in intensive care units.

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Regional Health Commander Dr Alasdair MacDonald said two medical wards at the LGH remained closed to the public while COVID-19 outbreaks were being managed - with no visitation allowed.

The acute medical ward at the hospital had also been designated a COVID-ward and was closed to visitors.

Dr MacDonald said visitors would still be permitted in other non-COVID-wards throughout the hospital, but some restrictions would remain in place.

He said existing limits on the number of visitors and how long visitors could spend with patients would continue to be enforced.

"Visitors are asked to limit visitation to 30 minutes, however where appropriate, exemptions can be sought by speaking with the ward's nurse unit manager," he said.

"There may also be differences between wards, based on risk profile."

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Although the state's COVID-19 public health emergency declaration ended on June 30, Dr MacDonald said precautions concerning visitors would remain in place while cases in the state were high.

"Public health advice remains that COVID cases are expected to rise and precautions should still be taken to reduce infection, especially in critical environments that provide care for people who may be at higher risk of severe symptoms," he said

"The visitation policy was first implemented and communicated by the Regional Health Emergency Management Team.

"This policy aims to strike a balance between protecting patients and staff, against the important need for patients to have visitors.

"The outbreaks on wards at the LGH this week are evidence that the policy is still relevant."

The LGH was not the only hospital to experience increased pressure following the latest wave of COVID cases, with the North West Regional Hospital also moving to escalation level three of its COVID-19 management plan on Friday morning.

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Acting State Health Commander Professor Tony Lawler said the change at the NWRH was based on the level of COVID-positive inpatients, hospital demand and staff absences.

Speaking on Friday, hours before the escalation of the LGH, Health Department deputy secretary Dale Webster said the situation in the North of the state was "not under control".

He said while the outbreaks were being "managed" hospitals would need to record a sustained period of no new transmission before he was comfortable using the term.

"No, I wouldn't say it's under control," he said.

"I would say we are managing it and the reason I would say that is that there needs to be a period of time where we have no new cases before we would consider we have it under control."

Dr MacDonald said people wanting to visit patients at the hospital could find more information on the restrictions on the Department of Health's website, by calling the Hospital in advance of visiting or speaking to staff on the ward.

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