New admissions to a ward at Waikato Hospital have been halted after Covid-19 has started to spread amongst patients – further hampering elective surgeries.

There will be no new admissions to M14 – the cardiac, thoracic and vascular surgery ward – due to 'transmission of Covid-19 within the ward”, says a Te Whatu Ora spokesperson.

Services will remain open to new patients, who will be provided beds in alternative ward areas.

But elective procedures will be impacted – as pausing admissions to a ward reduces the number of available beds.

'While M14 access is restricted we will be reviewing those elective surgery patients to confirm whether it is clinically appropriate to defer surgery,” says the spokesperson.

Surgeries that need to will go ahead, including immediate follow-up care in the intensive care unit or high dependency unit.

Affected patients will be contacted directly.

This strategy will be reviewed on Tuesday, says an email sent to staff.

The spokesperson says strict infection prevention and control processes have limited the spread of the virus, but the most effective way to stamp it out is to close the ward to new patients.

Current inpatients have been separated and all staff and patients are taking daily RAT tests until the spread stops.

Mask wearing is still required in all Te Whatu Ora facilities, and the number of visitors remains restricted.

All new patients were tested for Covid-19.

'We ask that all visitors continue to follow our requirements and please do not visit patients or staff if you are unwell.”

On Thursday, there was 4540 new community cases of Covid-19 reported in the country, along with 473 people in hospital.

Ten people are in intensive care.

-Stuff/Rachel Moore.