There have been three new imported cases of Covid-19 today, with the Health Ministry also confirming that all the close contacts of an infected MIQ cleaner have returned negative test results.
Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield and Head of Managed Isolation and Quarantine Brigadier, Jim Bliss, have provided the latest Covid-19 update.
Watch the update here:
There have been three cases of Covid-19 reported in managed isolation reported today. Dr Bloomfield said there were 74 active cases of the coronavirus and 2123 total cases in the country.
The investigation into how a cleaner at the Grand Millennium was exposed to Covid-19 were continuing, Dr Bloomfield said.
He said all close contacts of the Grand Millenium worker had returned negative results and a household member who returned an initial weak positive test had returned a second negative test at day five.
Those close contacts remain in isolation and will have a second test on day 12, he said.
Yesterday there were six new cases of Covid-19 in managed isolation and quarantine and no new cases in the community.
The ministry said it was investigating the possibility of a transmission at the Grand Mecure managed isolation facility in Auckland after genome sequencing showed a link between two returnees at the facility.
Dr Bloomfield said 193 of the 250 people who were at the hotel during the time of the possible transmission, announced earlier this week, have been contacted by the Ministry of Health
In regards to the vaccination rollout, Dr Bloomfield expects more than 5000 doses to be administered over the weekend and by the end of today more than 50,000 doses will have been administered.
He said spare vaccines have been given to people outside of the vaccine priority plan since the beginning of the programme in order to avoid wastage.
Canterbury District Health Board gave leftover Pfizer doses to three staff members from a company near a vaccination site after some people didn't show up for their appointments.
Dr Bloomfield said on the first weekend of vaccinating border workers, some healthcare workers were vaccinated with spares.
There is a list of people who can be contacted at short notice if there are left-over vaccinations, he added.
Investigation at Grand Mercure underway
Brigadier Bliss said an investigation had been launched to understand what happened at the Grand Mercure and part of that investigation will look into managed isolation walks at four facilities in Auckland.
He said earlier this month 23 people were bussed to two managed isolation walks, which a now-known positive case took part in.
On 19 March 12 returnees took part in a managed isolation walk - one was a positive case and a further two took part in another walk on 21 March.
Bliss said from 19 March, nine of those contacts were classed as casual plus and their managed isolation stays were extended by five days. They all returned negative tests and displayed no symptoms at the end of their extended stay. They were released yesterday.
From 21 March, 15 returnees on the managed isolation walk, 14 plus the positive case. These 14 have had their stays extended by 14 days from the day of exposure during the walk.
Bliss said the person who tested positive for Covid-19 that went on a walk found out they tested positive while taking the bus back to managed isolation.
Bliss thanked those 14 for staying on for another two weeks.
Bliss said he had put a 24-hour pause on busing returnees to managed isolation walks to allow staff to review their processes and make sure their protocols are appropriate.
Dr Bloomfield said it was not necessary to confine people in MIQ to their rooms for the full 14 days. He said Covid-19 spread to those working in MIQ facilities in Australia, where guests are confined to rooms, proved this policy does not prevent spread within hotels.