COVID Outbreak Causes RHH Escalation

Media release – Kathrine Morgan-Wicks, State Health Commander, 17 March 2021

Royal Hobart Hospital escalation

This afternoon at 4pm, the Royal Hobart Hospital (RHH) has escalated from level one to level two of its COVID-19 management escalation plan.

The move follows the recommendations of the Regional Health Emergency Management Team and is based on the current level of COVID-positive inpatients (15 inpatients, 4 being treated for COVID) and increasing level of COVID-related staff absences impacting general operations.

To protect staff and patients:

• unvaccinated visitors will be restricted (unless they have an exemption),
• patients in the Emergency Department may have one support person, but visitors will not be permitted; and
• elective surgery will be reduced where clinically appropriate,
• other relevant service reconfigurations will occur as needed.

Existing PPE protocols will continue, with staff and visitors being required to wear clinically recommended masks at all times while in the RHH.

In addition to this change in COVID Escalation, the Southern Region is currently experiencing a significant level of non-COVID acute care demand impacting Ambulance Tasmania and the Royal Hobart Hospital Emergency Department.

If people have conditions that are not life-threatening and can be treated by a General Practitioner, we encourage them to reconsider attending the Royal Hobart Hospital Emergency Department during this surge period.

The surge in cases that Tasmania has experienced is to be expected and is a result of BA2 variant becoming the dominant strain in the state. The most important protection for Tasmanians is for people to get vaccinated.