Hospital admissions surge as flu outbreak strains New Zealand health services
New Zealand hospitals are setting up dedicated flu wards and cancelling elective surgery as a late-season flu outbreak drives the highest hospitalisation rates in over a decade.
A significant flu outbreak is putting New Zealand's health system under strain, with Auckland experiencing its worst week for flu hospitalisations in more than a decade. Hospitals have established dedicated flu wards and begun cancelling elective surgery to manage capacity, while health bosses are meeting daily to monitor the situation across the country. Healthline has also needed to bring in additional staff to handle a surge in calls, with the health service fielding about 20 percent more calls than normal.
Covered byRNZStuffOtago Daily TimesNot covered byNZ Herald1NewsNewstalk ZBNewsroomThe SpinoffBusinessDeskinterest.co.nz
Coverage across the news outlets we track, as at publication.
What outlets are saying
RNZ
Flu wards set up, elective surgery cancelled as hospital admissions surge
Health bosses were now meeting daily to monitor the situation and keep an eye on hospital capacity across the country.
Stuff
Flu wards set up, elective surgery cancelled as hospital admissions surge
Health bosses were now meeting daily to monitor the situation and keep an eye on hospital capacity across the country.
Otago Daily Times
Dedicated flu wards set up as ‘yuck’ strain hits NZ hard
RNZ
How lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic could be applied to current flu outbreak
Auckland has had its worst week for flu hospitalisations in a decade, while New Zealand is also close to the highest influenza rate in four years.
Stuff
Flu has ‘rocketed’ across NZ – and the worst may still be coming
Auckland has recorded its highest weekly rate of severe respiratory illness hospitalisations in more than a decade as a late-season flu surge puts health services under growing pressure.
RNZ
Healthline calls in reinforcements amid biggest flu outbreak in 10 years
The health service has been handling about 20 percent more calls than normal following a surge in flu.