'Hot-map' shows 20 Covid contacts isolating in Hawke's Bay

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern with the heat map highlighting the existing Delta-outbreak contacts, including those isolating in Hawke's Bay. But no cases have been discovered in the region. Photo / File

The mystery over a blue spot on a Covid-19 contacts hot-map has been answered by a revelation that of the more than 15,000 contacts identified in the latest tracing operation, 20 are isolating in Hawke's Bay.

But the Ministry of Health stresses no positive test results have been returned in the region in the new alert which started when a man from Devonport on Auckland's North Shore was found earlier this month to have contracted the Delta strain.

"There have been no positive Covid-19 cases recorded in Hawke's Bay related to the current outbreak," a Ministry spokesperson told Hawke's Bay Today in answer to questions following the appearance of the hot-map at Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's media update on Monday.

"As of 8am Tuesday, 20 individual contacts have been registered in the National Contact Tracing Centre register as currently isolating in the Hawke's Bay DHB region," a statement said.

Contact tracing is done by Public Health Units and is co-ordinated by the National Contact Tracing Centre at the MoH.

"New Zealand's contact tracers are working tirelessly and at pace," the spokesperson said. "We would like to acknowledge their incredible mahi, and thank everyone who has cooperated with contact tracers. You are doing your bit for New Zealand's fight against Covid-19.

"In the 48 hours after alert level 4 was announced, thousands of people left Auckland to return home in different parts of the country," the spokesperson said.

There were no listed Hawke's Bay locations of interest (sites visited by people who have tested positive) but the MoH says people who have recently visited Auckland, the Coromandel and Wellington should check the lists of locations.

Meanwhile, Hawke's Bay DHB Medical Officer of Health Dr Nicholas Jones reiterated the call, and confirmed that no positive test results had been recorded in the region in the latest outbreak.

The results from 3717 tests in the latest seven-day period were on average available about 25 hours after each test, and all were negative.

Jones also highlighted the continued need for vaccination with "lots of opportunities across the region".