New Zealand / Covid 19

Covid-19 update: Four new cases in managed isolation today

13:49 pm on 2 February 2021

There are four new cases of Covid-19 in managed isolation facilities in New Zealand today, the Ministry of Health has confirmed.

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In a statement, the ministry said one of the new cases is classified as historical and deemed not infectious.

There are no new cases in the community.

Of the 349 people who left the Pullman Hotel between 9 and 24 January, 347 have returned negative test results. The results of two people are yet to come in.

All close contacts of the border-related cases have returned negative test results.

The ministry has revealed the number of cases it has identified as being linked to managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) facilities.

In a statement, it said as of yesterday, it had identified five returnees infected by a source with an MIQ.

It has also identified five staff infected by a source within a facility.

The infections involve seven events across five facilities: Rydges Auckland, Pullman Auckland, Sudima Christchurch Airport, Crowne Plaza Christchurch and the Jet Park Auckland quarantine facility.

All of these cases have previously been reported by the ministry.

More than 105,000 returnees have been through MIQ facilities in New Zealand and there are more than 4000 staff in MIQ facilities nationwide.

The government's medicines safety authority is meeting to decide whether to approve the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine.

A Medsafe advisory committee will consider data from clinical trials and from countries already using the vaccine.

Once the committee has reached a recommendation, this will be passed to the group manager at Medsafe, Chris James, to make a determination and advise the government.