New Zealand / Covid 19

Covid-19: St Lukes Mall shop employee worked while infectious

21:06 pm on 20 August 2020

A Westfield St Lukes retail employee with Covid-19 worked at the mall for number of days while infectious.

Westfield St Lukes. File image. Photo: Rafael Ben-Ari/Chameleons Eye/ 123RF

However, Auckland Regional Public Health Service (ARPHS) says there has been "very limited public exposure" due to the alert level 3 restrictions.

It warned people who were at the mall from 10.30am to noon on Wednesday 12 August - just prior to the alert level 3 enforcement - that there was a small chance they may have been exposed.

The person was also at the Countdown at the centre for 10 minutes about 11.15am on that same day.

While the employee remained at the centre that same afternoon and the following days, on 14, 15 and 17 August, there was no interaction with the public.

Close contacts have also been identified and are in self-isolation. ARPHS says anyone else at the centre is considered a casual contact and does not need to self-isolate.

Customers and staff should be wary of any onset of symptoms over the next two weeks as a precaution, and call healthline if that happens.

The symptoms of Covid-19 are a new or worsening cough, sore throat, runny nose, loss of sense or smell, or fever.

Earlier today, the director-general of health warned that a person who was at the St Lukes mall on the morning of 12 August had tested positive, and their case was still under investigation.

It had initially been linked to the existing cluster, but that has now been reclassified today.

Genomic sequencing was still being done on this case but Dr Bloomfield said he couldn't say at this stage whether it was a third strain in the community.

It is the second case that is under investigation and not linked to the cluster.

  • If you have symptoms of the coronavirus, call the NZ Covid-19 Healthline on 0800 358 5453 (+64 9 358 5453 for international SIMs) or call your GP - don't show up at a medical centre