There are two new cases of COVID-19 to report in managed isolation facilities in New Zealand today.
The first case we are reporting today is a female teenager who arrived in New Zealand on June 13 and has been staying at the Novotel at Auckland Airport. Her only reported symptom was a runny nose. She has travelled with her siblings and her mother who have all tested negative for COVID-19. The teenager flew from Islamabad in Pakistan to Doha, then Doha to Melbourne, and Melbourne to Auckland. The Doha and Melbourne legs are the same flights that one of the cases we reported last week was also on. The teenager has been interviewed and any other potential contacts are being identified.
The second case we are reporting today is a man in his 30s who arrived in New Zealand from India on June 15 and has been staying at the Grand Millennium. He has not reported any symptoms at this point. The man’s wife who he has travelled has also not reported any symptoms and she will be followed up with today. The flight the man arrived on was AI1316, the same flight from Delhi that one of yesterday’s reported cases was on.
Both cases have now been transferred to the Jet Park quarantine facility, along with their families.
That brings our total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 to 1,163.
We currently have nine active cases of COVID-19 in New Zealand.
There is one significant cluster that remains open.
Yesterday our laboratories completed 3,402 tests, bringing our total number of tests completed to date to 344,519.
On Saturday, 430 COVID-19 tests were undertaken across managed isolation facilities in Auckland, and 61 tests were done in Christchurch facilities.
Testing
From June 9, additional measures at the border have been rolled out to ensure we are catching imported cases of COVID-19. All people leaving managed isolation now need to return a negative COVID-19 test so Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield is assured that they present a low risk to the community.
Between 9 and 16 June, 55 people were granted exemptions to go into the community either to self-isolate or for short term visits.
All 55 have been followed up and 54 have either been referred for testing or do not require a test for reasons such as being a child whose parents have been tested or because they are now overseas. One person has had initial contact and is still being followed up to ascertain if testing is required. This person is at the end of their 14-day period of isolation so is considered low risk.
Extensive work is underway to contact everyone who left a managed isolation facility between June 9 and June 16 to confirm they have had a test and if they haven’t, to refer them for testing. We are continuing to make these calls today. Anyone that has not been tested will be asked to get tested.
