Newborn Babies At Risk After Another Covid Scare At The Royal Children’s Hospital

There are serious concerns for newborns at the Royal Children’s Hospital after a Covid scare.

A parent unknowingly was infected with the disease when they stayed with their newborn in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) last Thursday and Friday night.

Newborn babies at risk after another Covid scare at the Royal Children’s Hospital

29 premature and ill newborns have been exposed to the virus, and two of the babies are considered to be Tier one close contacts.

The entire NICU was forced into isolation on Tuesday night.

Covid protocols have now changed at the hospital, with all visiting parents required to undertake a mandatory rapid antigen test before entering.

Infectious disease expert professor Mary Louis McLaws has told nine, this should have already been a requirement.

“I’m surprised that people who are visiting and not tested with a rapid antigen test before they go into the ward, and these should be used.”

This comes after a number of families were forced into isolation for 14 days in their child’s hospital room after the cancer ward was exposed to Covid.

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