Coronavirus: New Covid-19 cases in Dunedin and Queenstown

Otago Daily Times

19 Mar, 2020 04:59 AM2 mins to read

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The two latest Southern cases of Covid-19 are a Dunedin woman in her 30s and a Spanish man in hospital in Queenstown and did not test positive in Southland as previously reported by the Ministry of Health.

Meanwhile Southern District Health Board are tracing the contacts of an Australian who was in Queenstown while infectious.

Ministry of Health's Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield earlier said two of the eight new cases today were from Southland.

However, the Ministry of Health have now corrected the information and say the two new cases from the South are in Queenstown and Dunedin.

The Southern District Health Board said the two cases were a tourist from Spain, who tested positive in Queenstown, and a Dunedin woman who had recently travelled overseas have been diagnosed with Covid-19.

That brought the total positive cases in the district to six.

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The Spanish man is his 60s was unwell and was being cared for at Lakes District Hospital in Queenstown. His wife was being tested and is self-isolating.

Contact tracing had commenced.

The Dunedin woman in her 30s had recently travelled to Australia and the United Kingdom, via Los Angeles. She had mild symptoms and has been self-isolating since returning to New Zealand this week.

Contact tracing was complete for the first three cases, and is ongoing for the Invercargill man diagnosed yesterday.

Southern DHB was also undertaking contact tracing in Queenstown in relation to an Australian case, who was in the area while infectious.

"We have been able to reach possible contacts and do not need to publicise his movements as part of the public health response."

The DHB said others in the Southern district who had tested positive for Covid-19 in the past week remained in self-isolation and were recovering well.