Wollongong Private Hospital's birthing suites have undergone a deep clean after a visit by a specialist on Saturday morning who'd unknowingly had contact with a COVID-positive case.
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Wollongong obstetrician-gynaecologist Dr Pip Gale was notified by NSW Health after the hospital visit that a person who later tested positive to COVID-19 had attended an appointment at her private consulting rooms on Friday afternoon.
Dr Gale has since been tested, and has received a negative result, and is isolating at home for 14 days.
The positive cases are a couple who attended her rooms and have been linked to the Bondi COVID cluster.
One was announced on Saturday. He is a man in his 30s who lives in Sydney. He attended Westfield Bondi Junction and spent time in the Wollongong area.
The second case is a household contact of the man in his 30s who also attended Westfield Bondi Junction and spent time in the Wollongong area.
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Wollongong Private Hospital CEO Steven Rajcany said the identified birthing suites at the hospital had also been deep cleaned as a precaution.
"On Saturday we received notification that a doctor had been exposed within the last 24 hours to a confirmed positive case of COVID-19 in their private practice rooms. Subsequently the public health unit has identified them as a close contact," he said.
"Unfortunately, this doctor was only made aware of exposure to a COVID positive case after they had visited the birthing suites of the hospital earlier Saturday morning."
Mr Rajcany said two of the hospital's midwives were also tested as close contacts of the doctor, and both have returned negative results.
"One of the midwives is fully vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine and the second is working through the AstraZeneca timelines, awaiting their second dose, which is due this Thursday," he added.
"The doctor has also received both doses of the vaccine."
Mr Rajcany said said the hospital had many other precautions in place which included the requirement that all staff and doctors, and visitors, wear masks at all times.
Private hospital patients are also required to wear masks when they're outside their rooms.
"Wollongong Private Hospital will continue to work within the Ramsay Health Care guidelines and consistently with the NSW Health Clinical excellence guidelines and public health directions," he said. "The safety of our staff, patients and visitors remains our priority.
"As of (Sunday night) there has been no confirmed cases of COVID 19 linked to the hospital."
Dr Gale's patients will be cared for in the interim by obstetrician-gynaecologist Dr Jodi Croft - who was not present at their shared Wollongong clinic on Friday.
Meantime, a spokesperson for the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District said through contact tracing, the ISLHD Public Health Unit quickly identified that the private healthcare professional had been in contact with COVID-19 cases linked to the Bondi cluster.
"The healthcare professional is in isolation and has tested negative to date. The health care professional will remain in isolation for 14 days, regardless of test results," the spokesperson said.
"Comprehensive contact tracing has taken place. NSW Health always alerts the community as soon as possible when there is any risk to public health, including exposure venues related to confirmed cases of COVID-19."