Dunedin Hospital's ward 8B opened yesterday afternoon after being closed to new admissions since Monday because of an outbreak of an antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Two patients and three nurses have been found to have methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) but no more cases have shown up in test results in the past two days.
More than 150 patients and staff associated with the ward have been tested for MRSA.
Although about 20 results remain outstanding, infection prevention and control charge nurse manager Jo Stodart said if one or two more cases showed up in the final test results, the hospital would be able to manage the situation without having to close wards.
The original case was found in a patient who was transferred from the ward to a rest-home.
The other patient, who does not have symptoms, was still in isolation. The three staff who tested positive, and who were also without symptoms, were transferred to duties without patient contact.
One had since been cleared as a carrier of MRSA. Regular screening of these staff will be carried out to ensure the bacteria was not present.
Only 11 patients had been in the ward since Monday and Mrs Stodart praised the effort of cleaning staff who had done a "huge clean" of the ward.
In the meantime, visitors would still be asked to wash their hands at the entrance to the ward, a measure which had been well received, she said.
This will be reassessed after the weekend.
