There are four new cases of Covid-19 reported in New Zealand today, two in the community and two in managed isolation.
Photo: 123RF
In a statement, the Health Ministry said the two cases in the community were both linked to the Auckland August cluster.
The first is a close contact of an existing confirmed case that has been epidemiologically linked to the cluster and the second is a household contact of a confirmed case linked to the Mt Roskill Evangelical Church sub-cluster.
The Ministry said both were already in isolation.
Of the two imported cases, one is child and the other is a woman in her 20s. They both arrived from India on 23 August and they were each a close contact of separate previously reported confirmed cases.
Since 11 August 11 there have been 3,224 close contacts of cases identified, of which 3,199 have been contacted and were self-isolating, and the Ministry said it was in the process of contacting the rest.
The Ministry said there are 70 people linked to the community cluster who remain in the Auckland quarantine facility, which included 52 people who tested positive for Covid-19 and their household contacts.
There are four people in hospital with Covid-19 - three were stable and in isolation on a ward - one in Middlemore and two in North Shore hospital. The fourth person was in Waikato Hospital in ICU.
Two previously reported cases were now considered recovered - both community cases.
The total number of confirmed cases was now 1425.
Yesterday 3991 Covid-19 tests were processed, bringing the total number of tests completed to date to 818,629.
Five new cases were reported yesterday - four in the community and one in managed isolation.
New Zealand's death toll from the coronavirus rose to 24 by Saturday, with two further deaths, including former Cook Islands prime minister and South Auckland GP Dr Joe Williams.
Border testing
The Ministry said new rules for testing certain higher-risk workers at the border and in managed isolation and quarantine facilities were now in force, shifting surveillance testing at the border to a more routine pattern.
The new rules include:
- Workers at managed quarantine facilities and workers who transport people required to be in quarantine to and from the facility will be tested once every seven days
- Workers at managed isolation facilities and workers who transport people required to be in isolation to and from the facility will be tested once every 14 days
- Workers in certain higher-risk occupations at the Ports of Auckland and the Port of Tauranga will be tested once every 14 days
- Workers in certain higher-risk occupations at Auckland International Airport will be tested once every 14 days.
"Testing is complementary to strict infection prevention and control measures including physical distancing and the use of PPE, and daily health checks," the Ministry said.
There was no media briefing today.
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- 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
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