Coronavirus closes wards at Ninewells

                                                                                                                                                                        Three non-covid wards at Ninewells have been closed to new patients after a small number of positive cases were detected.

Visiting has also been suspended - all patients and relevant staff have been offered tests.

It affects wards 2, 3 and 19.

NHS Tayside have issued a statement : “Across Scotland and in Tayside, COVID-19 is circulating more in the community and we are therefore seeing an increasing number of patients requiring hospital treatment.

“NHS Tayside’s Infection Prevention and Control Team is investigating a small number of cases of COVID-19 in Wards 2, 3 and 19 at Ninewells Hospital.

“The wards are not accepting new admissions and visiting has been temporarily suspended. All patients in the wards and relevant staff have been offered testing.

“All appropriate infection prevention and control measures have been put in place and Public Health Scotland has been informed.

“The public should be reassured that NHS Tayside has separate care pathways for patients presenting with COVID-19 symptoms, for urgent presentations and for patients attending for planned procedures or treatments. These pathways are supported by testing for COVID-19.

“NHS Tayside also provides an asymptomatic staff testing programme in line with Scottish Government guidance which includes weekly asymptomatic staff testing in specialist cancer wards and long term care wards in mental health services.

“Appropriate PPE is provided for all of our staff while they are working in COVID-19 confirmed or suspected patient areas.”