Covid 19 coronavirus: 11 new cases - all in managed isolation

There are 11 new Covid-19 cases – all in managed isolation. There are no new cases in the community.

Five of these cases are part of the day-six testing of international fishing crew in Christchurch.

Of today's other cases detected in managed isolation, one involves a family group of two people who arrived from Amsterdam via Singapore. The other cases involve two recent arrivals from the United Kingdom and one who arrived from the United Arab Emirates.

All six cases have returned positive tests at around day three, as part of the country's standard border testing protocols, and they are now in quarantine.

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There are 74 active cases in New Zealand. The total number of cases in NZ since the pandemic began is 1578.

Testing

Auckland testing centres are busy, but there is plenty of capacity in the system, the Ministry of Health says.

"One community testing centre in Henderson started swabbing early as there were people waiting for it to open.

"Seven community testing centres are open – those are Northcote Community Testing Centre, Northcare Accident and Medical, Whānau House in Henderson, Western Springs Community Testing Centre, the Whānau Ora Community Clinic in Wiri, the Otara Community Testing Centre, and the North Harbour stadium carpark in Albany," the ministry says.

Yesterday's cases

Eight cases were detected in managed isolation facilities, seven of which involved the fishing crew at the Christchurch facility.

The other case in managed isolation arrived from Iran via Dubai on October 19. They tested positive on day three and was now in the Auckland quarantine facility.

Director general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Elsewhere, the United States set a new record for the highest number of new Covid-19 infections in a single-day.

America reported 77,640 new cases on Thursday, according to NBC News, surpassing its previous record of 75,723 set on July 29.

It also recorded another 921 deaths, bringing the total death toll to more than 220,000.

Director general of health Ashley Bloomfield said yesterday he was feeling comfortable that level 1 was the right setting and the Auckland cluster was well-contained.

Health Minister Chris Hipkins said at this point the cluster wasn't causing him heightened levels of anxiety "just usual levels of anxiety".

There would be a "very intensive" campaign over the next 72 hours to encourage the public to use the app.

"The more we scan, the safer we'll be," Bloomfield said.

Community testing over Labour weekend

Hipkins said it was "imperative" that people with symptoms get a test quickly. Auckland would have seven community centres open over the long weekend.

Bloomfield thanked New Zealanders - especially Aucklanders - "for doing the right thing" as it would help their families and communities stay safe.

Hipkins asked anyone who is sick to stay at home, call Healthline, and get a test.

He also asked people to use the Covid Tracer app and to wear a face-covering in places where it wasn't possible to physically distance, such as on public transport or planes.

"We know how to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in New Zealand; we've done it many many times."

The marine engineer cluster

The marine employee cluster has increased to include three other positive cases and businesses throughout Auckland are scrambling.

A marine engineer is thought to have caught Covid-19 while working on a foreign vessel before passing it onto two colleagues.

A household contact of one of the cases, it is unclear who, has also tested positive and was one of yesterday's nine new Covid-19 cases.

The 27-year-old marine engineer is an electronics technician understood to work at Albany-based Wright Technologies.

According to experts, he's the "hero" who may have saved the country from a new community outbreak by acting swiftly.

The man worked on a Liberian-flagged cargo ship named the Sofrana Surville, which arrived at the Ports of Auckland just before noon on Monday, October 12.

It had sailed from Papua New Guinea, to the Solomon Islands, to Brisbane, to Tauranga and then to Auckland.

On Tuesday, October 13, the engineer, garbed in a mask and gloves, stepped aboard the Sofrana Surville and got to work.

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(edited)