The Air New Zealand crew member who tested positive for Covid-19 in China has once again returned a positive coronavirus swab since touching down in the country.
It comes as officials reveal eight new Covid-19 cases in managed isolation. There are no new community cases today. There are 59 active cases in New Zealand.
The Ministry of Health is still investigating the circumstances of the Air NZ crew case. The staffer and their colleagues arrived back in New Zealand this morning and have gone into isolation.
"Further test samples were processed rapidly in our Auckland laboratory, and these have returned a positive result, so this is now considered a confirmed case. Our case numbers will report this case tomorrow," the ministry said this afternoon.
"A source investigation is under way and swabs have been sent to ESR in Wellington for genome sequencing, which is being done as quickly as possible.
"This person, seven close contacts and six casual contacts from the flight all arrived in New Zealand this morning and were all tested on arrival.
"This person and the close contacts are all in quarantine at our Auckland facility.
So far we also have test results on some of the 11 close contacts, all of which are negative. All close contacts are in self isolation or managed isolation.
"Out of an abundance of caution, we have been following public health protocols and have already been investigating this case as if it were a confirmed case in New Zealand."
Contact tracing is also ongoing in Auckland to work out where the staff member went in the two weeks before the Shanghai flight. Three close contacts have been identified so far and another two are under investigation.
The Auckland Regional Public Health Service said that the person went to a petrol station, two Auckland supermarkets, a paint shop, a pharmacy, and a pet shop.
One person arrived on November 19 from Canada via Hong Kong and tested positive at around day 3 of their stay in managed isolation.
One person arrived on November 19 from Finland via Sweden and Qatar and also tested positive at around day 3 of their stay in managed isolation.
Both are now in quarantine at our Auckland facility.
One person arrived on November 19 from the United States and tested positive at around day 3 of their stay in managed isolation. This case is in quarantine in our Christchurch facility.
Five people are part of the same family that arrived on November 19 from Mexico via the United States and all tested positive at around day 3 of their stay in managed isolation.
The Air New Zealand case
The person visited a BP Connect in Māngere, Resene Mt Roskill and the Countdown and New World in Papatoetoe on Friday, November 20.
They also visited the pharmacy at Countdown Greenlane and Animates Manukau on Saturday, November 21.
This morning the Auckland Regional Public Health Service issued a correction to the timing of one of two supermarket visits made on Friday, saying the person was in the store two hours later than initially advised.
Yesterday there were two new Covid-19 cases, both of them in managed isolation.
There were 53 active cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand.
The full list of businesses:
Shoppers the visited these locations during these times are considered "low risk" and should watch for symptoms, and if they develop, get a test and isolate.
Friday, November 20
• BP Connect petrol station, 154 Coronation Rd, Māngere, between 9.28am and 9.35am.
• Resene Mt Roskill between 11.45am and 12.15pm.
• Countdown Papatoetoe between 5.09pm and 5.22pm.
• New World, Papatoetoe between 7.29pm and 7.43pm.
Saturday, November 21
• Pharmacy at Countdown Greenlane between 12.34pm and 12.42pm.
• Animates Manukau between 1.20pm and 2.11pm.