Photo: 123RF / AFP
Hospital doctors could continue working even after testing positive for Covid-19 in the worst case scenarios of an Omicron outbreak here. Emergency departments are preparing for chronic worker shortages when staff contract Omicron and are forced to isolate, similar to what has been experienced in Europe and Australia.
Kathryn speaks with Dr John Bonning from the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine, who says while large hospitals will have a better chance at absorbing the mass staff shortages, smaller regional hospitals will be under significant pressure. He's warning that in this disaster scenario, a small hospital with only one or two doctors may be forced to either temporarily close or if Covid-positive staff feel well, they may continue to work through their illness with precautions in place.
Employers in all industries are being warned by epidemiologists to prepare for "the big sick". Overseas, illness as a result of Omicron has significantly disrupted supply chains, leaving shelves empty in supermarkets and shops. Brett O'Riley from the Employers and Manufacturers Association wants says rapid antigen tests are the way to keep New Zealand open for business and avoid 'the big sick' sweeping the workforce.
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