Urgent alert for two major Sydney hospitals as SIX HUNDRED staff are plunged into isolation after being exposed to a Covid-infected student medic
- More than 500 staff at Sydney's Royal North Shore Hospital ordered to isolate
- Another 120 at Fairfield Hospital also isolated after exposed to infected nurse
- Isolation orders have left hospitals understaffed with five RHS wards affected
More than 600 staff at two of Sydney's busiest hospitals have been ordered to isolate after being exposed to a student nursing colleague infected with coronavirus
So far, 500 workers at Royal North Shore Hospital on the city's lower lower north shore and another 120 staff at Fairfield Hospital in Sydney's south-west have been identified as close contacts of a 24-year-old student nurse.
The Covid-positive nurse worked at the hospitals while infectious a fortnight ago between June 24 and 28.
Only 100 initial staff and patients were initially ordered to isolate when the unvaccinated student nurse tested positive last week.
The quarantine orders have left both hospitals critically under-staffed now that the additional 520 nurses, other frontline healthcare workers and administration staff forced to isolate for two weeks.
More than 500 staff at Royal North Shore Hospital have been ordered to self isolate for two weeks, leaving the major hospital critically understaffed
Health authorities are scrambling to move nursing staff from other Sydney hospitals to help fill the shortage at Royal North Shore Hospital, where five wards have been impacted, Guardian Australia reported.
NSW Health confirmed in a statement that Royal North Shore is operating 'under a red alert', where visitors are restricted unless in 'exceptional circumstances'.
The affected departments include the renal vascular, neurology, cardiology, a general medical ward and a surgical ward.
'These wards are not accepting any new patients and are closed to visitors. All staff working in these wards are wearing an enhanced level of personal protective equipment,' the statement read.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted NSW Health for further comment.
The student nurse worked at Fairfield Hospital’s rehabilitation ward and the Royal North Shore Hospital’s cardiology and general abdominal surgery wards.
Another 120 staff at Fairfield Hospital (pictured) in Sydney's south-west have been identified as close contacts
NSW Nurses and Midwives Association general secretary Brett said the isolation orders have had 'a large burden'.
'Our health system was already at extraordinary high activity, and there was minimum staffing available because casual staff who might've backfilled absences are being absorbed at vaccination and testing centres,' Mr Holmes said.
'Clearly the hospital has done the sensible thing and stopped all but emergency surgery, and has diverted patients to other facilities where possible, but nurses were already strained and having experienced for some time shortages in their normal working day.
NSW recorded 35 new cases on Monday, matching the biggest daily rise in infections so far this year recorded on Saturday.
Five wards at Royal North Shore Hospital have been impacted by the isolation orders which have forced more than 500 staff to isolate (stock image)
NSW Premier Gladys Berejikilian described the next two days as 'absolutely critical' in whether the two week lockdown for Sydney and surrounding regions will end as planned midnight Friday.
'We expect the case numbers of people in isolation to keep going up,' she told reporters.
'What we are really looking at are the number of people who have still been infectious in the community and what impact that will have in the next few days.'
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMie2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmRhaWx5bWFpbC5jby51ay9uZXdzL2FydGljbGUtOTc1NjI5OS9Nb3JlLTYwMC1zdGFmZi1tYWpvci1TeWRuZXktaG9zcGl0YWxzLWZvcmNlZC1pc29sYXRpb24tbmV3LUNvdmlkLWNhc2UuaHRtbNIBf2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmRhaWx5bWFpbC5jby51ay9uZXdzL2FydGljbGUtOTc1NjI5OS9hbXAvTW9yZS02MDAtc3RhZmYtbWFqb3ItU3lkbmV5LWhvc3BpdGFscy1mb3JjZWQtaXNvbGF0aW9uLW5ldy1Db3ZpZC1jYXNlLmh0bWw?oc=5
2021-07-05 06:40:15Z
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