Kareena Private Hospital at Caringbah has confirmed a COVID-positive person visited its obstetrics unit last month.
The hospital has issued a statement in which it said it was advised by NSW Health Public Health Unit on December 29 that a person who visited the obstetrics unit at Kareena Private Hospital had tested positive for COVID-19.
"Contact tracing was immediately commenced in collaboration with the Public Health Unit. All close and casual contacts have been identified and directed to self-isolate and undergo COVID-19 testing," the statement said.
"All test results of close and casual contacts received to date have been negative. All close contacts will remain in self-isolation for 14 days.
"As a precaution, deep cleaning was also undertaken in several areas of the hospital."
The hospital said it had a "comprehensive range of robust safety measures in place to reduce the risk of transmission, and to ensure anybody who enters the hospital can be easily identified and contacted if required".
"All visitors must wear masks while attending the hospital and undergo screening and temperature checking before they are allowed to enter," it said.
"Visitors who have attended an identified hotspot, or who are unwell with any COVID-19 symptoms, no matter how mild, will be restricted from visiting the hospital.
"Patients are permitted to have the same one visitor for the duration of their stay, which further minimises the number of visitors to the hospital.
"The safety and well-being of our patients, visitors, employees and doctors is our highest priority and we will continue to monitor and proactively respond to the latest updates from NSW Health.
"If you are a patient with any queries, please contact the hospital or your treating doctor to discuss your specific circumstances."
The statement only came after there were unconfirmed reports yesterday that a COVID-positive case had been linked to the hospital, which is owned by Ramsay Health Care.
A post on the Southern Endocrine Facebook page on December 29 said a COVID positive case had visited the hospital.
Other reports stated the person in question was the father of a newborn baby and that he, his family and others linked to the hospital, including obstetricians, were now in isolation.
The hospital has not been added to the NSW Health list of case locations or been subject to any public health alerts.
However, NSW Health and Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant have previously stated that they only release such details if required to track down contacts.
An active coronavirus case recently spent some time at a Lilli Pilli workplace but Dr Chant said there was no need for a public alert.
"If there is a venue where we know fully everyone who has been there or if it is a workplace, where we have effectively got everyone, we don't put that out," she said.
The Leader asked NSW Health for comment.
A NSW Health spokeswoman said this afternoon: "NSW Health does not comment on individual cases due to privacy.
"The public is alerted as quickly as possible when venues are identified where a risk assessment indicates potential exposure may have occurred, unless the list of people potentially exposed is already obtainable through venue or other records," she said.
It comes as three new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 were reported in NSW to 8pm last night.
