Three wards at Southland Hospital remain closed to visitors following a Covid-19 outbreak.
Photo: Google Maps
There are currently 19 patients in the hospital with Covid-19.
Southern District Health Board said visiting restrictions remain tightened for the medical, surgical and rehabilitation wards to protect vulnerable patients.
It said capacity issues have been preventing patients from being transferred to Dunedin Hospital for at least 48 hours.
People are allowed to visit on compassionate grounds, but need to contact the ward first.
Meanwhile, the Southern DHB is urging anyone scheduled for surgery who has or has had Covid-19 to contact their surgical team right away.
The DHB says there is evidence that Covid-19 infection near the time of an operation can increase the risk of complications such as pneumonia.
Surgical teams will need to take this into account when balancing the risk of delaying the surgery with the risk of complications that could arise due to the Covid-19 infection.
The DHB says most operations can still safely take place four to eight weeks after recovery from Covid-19.