Many of Palmerston North's residents are turning out for testing after a positive case was announced today. Photo: RNZ / Tom Kitchin
A man who attended a cricket training session in Palmerston North earlier this week has tested positive for Covid-19.
The Manawatū Cricket Association said on Thursday morning the man, who attended his club training on Tuesday evening, has the virus.
Official confirmation from health officials didn't come until Thursday's daily 1pm update.
Association chairperson Carla na Nagara said the man felt unwell on Wednesday and returned a positive result when tested. He'd earlier had a test on Monday, which came back negative.
"What I understand is the person attended a club cricket practice in Palmerston North on Tuesday night.
"He felt unwell the following morning and had a Covid test, and we were advised last night it had come back positive."
The man is a casual contact of one of the two Woodville cases revealed at the weekend.
He is from Ashhurst, a village just outside Palmerston North.
United Cricket Club chairman Paul Hofmann said everyone present at the club's training on Tuesday, from three men's teams, was isolating at home.
"The advice we've received is they need to self-isolate, get a test as soon as possible and await further instructions from the health authorities."
Hofmann said the positive case used the Covid tracer app and had followed all advice.
"He's not very unwell. It's just similar to a cold. He's OK."
He understood all affected players were vaccinated.
RNZ has requested an interview with MidCentral District Health Board officials about the plan to deal with Covid in the region.
Board chairman Brendan Duffy said the health system was under pressure, but staff in the region were ready to go now Covid had arrived.
And although the vaccination rates were high - Palmerston North is at 94 percent for first doses and the whole MidCentral region 90 percent - some groups were still lagging.
"We've got an enormous amount of work in front of us as we speak. And this challenge of Covid actually coming into our region does create another layer of stress and strain on our organisation, who are already well and truly tapped out, I have to say."
The cricket association's Palmerston North training facility on Park Road had a deep clean today and the association, whose staff are fully vaccinated, will not make school visits for a couple of days.
Na Nagara said the association would follow guidance from New Zealand Cricket and the Ministry of Health.
The association would look at its schedule of matches and take advice on whether any needed to be cancelled or postponed.
KSG Cleaning Specialists staff were doing the deep clean and its general manager, Simran Gill, expected the facility to reopen on Friday.
"We'll be going head to toe cleaning every surface then we'll be coming through and applying an approved chemical sanitiser, designed to attack and sanitise all surfaces."
Finally, a chemical fog goes through the building to ensure nothing is missed.
Independent Palmerston North school Carncot has confirmed one staff member, a close contact of the positive case, is isolating at home.
Palmerston North mayor Grant Smith said Covid was always going to come to the city. With a first-dose vaccination rate of 94 percent, Palmerston North was well-prepared.
He urged anyone with symptoms to get tested and anyone unvaccinated to get a shot.
Queues at the Palmerston North drive-in testing site lengthened throughout the morning, with dozens of cars lining up, before the wait grew shorter after lunch.
The Defence Force cancelled a commemoration of the World War I Battle of Cambrai, due to be held in The Square on Thursday, because of the positive case.
The Defence Force, which has strong ties to the United Cricket Club, has confirmed a "small number" of personnel are isolating at their homes, away from military camps.
"The staff members are vaccinated and isolated as soon as they became aware they had been in the proximity of the case," a Defence Force spokesperson said.
"Please note that none of these personnel have been designated by the Ministry of Health as close contacts at this time. Their isolation and testing is a precaution."
On Thursday, the Health Ministry released a new MidCentral location of interest. It is the Woodville Four Square, between 4.10 and 4.25pm on Tuesday.