Source: New Zealand Ministry of Health
Health care and support workers are an essential and valuable workforce. The nature of their occupation or workplace means they may be at increased risk of contracting COVID-19 during a time of community transmission.
The first case of COVID-19 in a health care or support worker was reported on 17 March 2020. After exclusions, 167 people diagnosed with COVID-19 were recorded as health care and support workers during the ‘first wave’ of the virus in Aotearoa New Zealand, as at 12 June.
The report gives an overview of the occupation and demographics of health care and support workers diagnosed with COVID-19 with a focus on transmission pathways in the workplace. This report is descriptive and is therefore not able to explain how transmission occurred. It provides valuable information we can apply and touches on some of the work that is underway at the time of publication to address those areas.
