Elective surgeries have been postponed, community-based assessment centres are being established, and there will be changes at maternity facilities as the Southern District Health Board confronts the affects of Covid-19.
A review of visiting is also underway.
"Evidence from overseas says that one of the best way to reduce transfer is to reduce the number of people visiting hospitals.
"This will involve limiting the number of visitors to patients in hospital and the number of family members who attend with patients."
Only one nominated support person or visitor will be allowed per patient for the duration of their stay in a maternity ward at Dunedin, Southland and Lakes District hospitals, the board confirmed.
Limiting the number of support people was not something it would do in normal circumstances "but in these exceptional circumstances we feel it is the responsible thing to do", the board said in a statement.
Midwives would also screen women before visits.
Women who have Covid-19 symptoms, who have been overseas in the last 14 days, or who have been in contact with an infected person must contact their midwife prior to visiting.
All elective surgeries will be postponed over the next three days to allow theatre staff and surgeons to plan and prepare for patients who may have confirmed, or are suspected of having, coronavirus.
Patients with the virus would be looked after in newly designated ward areas in the hospitals, the board confirmed.
"This area is being prepared, staff are being trained and current patients are being transferred to other wards."
Public access to Southland Hospital had been restricted to the main door, and Dunedin Hospital was working on the same.
Community assessment centres were being established in Dunedin, Invercargill, Queenstown and other centres.
The Dunedin centre opened yesterday and the Invercargill centre would open "shortly", both from 9am to 5pm — neither accepted walk-ins.
"We are progressing with these changes, and training is currently under way for staff who will be working at these facilities," the board confirmed in a statement.
Criteria and protocols for accessing facilities is also being established, and would be made clear when the centres were operational.
"This is of particular significance because of the high importance that this resource is solely dedicated to the screening of possible covid-19 patients who meet the case definitions."
The board expected aged care facilities to be follow guidelines about restricting visitors.
"We are aware that aged care facilities themselves have already taken precautionary measures to restrict non-essential visits and suspend communal activities."
It was important people continued to ring Healthline in the first instance.
"People are asked not to present to health care providers unannounced."
Director-general of health Ashley Bloomfield hailed the quick response of Dunedin nurses in testing for the virus yesterday.
"I also just want to do a shout out to primary care in Dunedin, who when the call went out a number of primary care nurses made themselves available to do all that testing.
"They set it all up [Forsyth Barr Stadium] there in Dunedin, processed all the students, so they could get the swabs done quickly.
"They all went into the lab yesterday and we have got most of them back."
