The child on an Air New Zealand flight from Napier to Auckland (flight NZ5018) on October 22 later tested positive for Covid-19 after arriving in Japan. Photo / File
The child on an Air New Zealand flight from Napier to Auckland (flight NZ5018) on October 22 later tested positive for Covid-19 after arriving in Japan. Photo / File
A Napier-based childcare centre remains open while health authorities continue to investigate a toddler who recently tested positive for Covid-19 upon arrival in Japan, despite testing negative for the virus in New Zealand.
Director general of health Ashley Bloomfield said it was believed it was a "historic case of falsepositive" and that there was "very low risk" to the public.
All of the family were tested before they left New Zealand and returned negative tests and only the toddler returned a positive test upon arrival in Japan.
The child was on an Air New Zealand flight from Napier to Auckland (flight NZ5018) on October 22 and went to a childcare centre in Napier.
The local health unit has been in touch with the childcare centre and health authorities were working with their Japanese counterparts to get a second test done while the family remains in managed isolation there.
Those connected to either the childcare centre or flight should stay vigilant to monitoring their health for symptoms, Bloomfield said.
Meanwhile the logging ship Ken Rei, which was previously denied entry into Napier Port due to links with a port worker who tested positive for Covid-19, also docked on Tuesday with Bloomfield confirming crew would not be leaving the ship while in the port.
He said the sailors had all returned negative Covid-19 tests and were in "good spirits".
The bulk hauler berthed at 6am on Tuesday morning to collect "fresh cargo", a Napier Port spokesperson said.
"They've come in to collect the logs. There's new cargo as the previous cargo had been taken."
The ship had been due to dock in port on October 18, but was barred from entry after it was identified as carrying 21 close contacts of the port worker who tested positive for Covid-19 on October 16.
A marine electronics engineer from Auckland, he had worked on the Ken Rei and one other ship, prompting concern about possible transmission risk.
Napier Port determined that the best precaution for its community was to keep the ship anchored offshore for a 14-day isolation period which was now complete.
Covid-19 swabs were taken from the Ken Rei's crew last Thursday, with all the tests coming back negative. Photo / Warren Buckland
A medical crew, Napier-based The Doctors, was tasked with flying out to the ship last Thursday to carry out Covid-19 testing of the crew and collect test swabs, all of which came back negative.
Medical Officer of Health Rachel Eyre said the move was a private agreement between the two organisations and there had been no requirement from the DHB or the Ministry of Health to gather the swabs.
However, Dr Eyre said from a public health intelligence perspective the results would be useful information.
The Ministry of Health had also advised the vessel could safely berth at any New Zealand port while following Covid-19 guidelines.
Marine pilots would be using full PPE gear, social distancing, and following all protocols when on board the ship until Thursday morning when it is expected to depart for Tauranga.
