Covid 19 coronavirus: Hawke's Bay has just one new case

Storm clouds over Napier this morning ahead of the latest Covid-19 update for the region. Photo Paul Taylor

Hawke's Bay has one new case of Covid-19, which lifts the region's total to 11.

It's understood the person is a female in her 20s, who had recently visited London.

There have been 83 new cases of Covd-19 nationally, director of Civil Defence Emergency Management Sarah Stuart-Black has confirmed earlier.

She said 50 people have recovered but 12 people are in hospital.

Two people are in intensive care – one on a ventilator. That's a one person increase on yesterday.

There are 451 cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand.

One of the Hawke's Bay cases confirmed earlier this week was exposed at the World Hereford Conference in Queenstown, which is one of the virus' five "clusters" nationally.

Today's update comes a day after a resident with dementia in a Napier rest home tested positive to coronavirus.

Hawke's Bay District Health Board's Medical Officer of Health Nick Jones earlier said: "This resident is now in isolation and infection prevention and public health teams have been working closely with Gladys Mary Care Home, which is closed to all visitors.

"The home has put all appropriate measures in place to help protect its residents and staff."

It is known that the rest home was visited by somebody with a confirmed case of Covid-19 while symptomatic between March 17 and 20.

Bupa Villages and Aged Care New Zealand managing director Carolyn Cooper said the resident is a member of a 14-person dementia community.

To ensure the safety of our residents and staff, the 14-person community was placed into immediate isolation prior to the positive test result.

"Additional infection prevention control measures were immediately put in place, including additional restrictions, equipment and hygiene measures," Cooper said.

Following the positive test result, Cooper also said they'd been in contact with the impacted resident's family and the group's wider care home residents and their families.

• Covid19.govt.nz: The Government's official Covid-19 advisory website

The rest home has been shut to all visitors since Tuesday March 24.

A case of coronavirus was confirmed at Gladys Mary rest home in Tamatea on Friday. Photo / Warren Buckland

New Zealand Aged Care Association chief executive Simon Wallace said it was a very challenging time for residents, families and staff, "particularly for residents who have dementia".

"All our members are doing everything they possibly can to care for and ease the situation for residents in self-isolation, and for all residents, within the required Ministry of Health Covid-19 protocols," he said.

"Something we can and are doing is supporting all our residents where possible to use technology to stay connected with their loved ones."

Hawke's Bay's first case of coronavirus was confirmed on Friday March 20.

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