Covid 19 coronavirus: Eight Air New Zealand staff test positive for the virus

Eight Air New Zealand long haul fleet employees who operated sectors to Los Angeles or London have tested positive for coronavirus.

None of the staff had flown since testing positive to Covid-19, an Air NZ spokeswoman told the Herald in a statement.

All were at home and the Ministry of Health contract tracing and other procedures had also been undertaken.

One person had also recovered, the Air NZ spokeswoman said.

It comes after it was announced this afternoon there had been 83 new cases of the virus in New Zealand overnight.

The nationwide total was 451, meanwhile, a total of 50 had recovered, Director of Civil Defence Emergency Management Sarah Stuart-Black said.

Twelve people were in hospital, including two in intensive care – one on a ventilator. Stuart-Black could not reveal which hospitals they were in.

People who had been tested for the virus and were awaiting results should remain in self-isolation, Stuart-Black said.

Government Controller John Ombler said the Government was "very pleased" with how most New Zealanders were behaving during the lockdown.

However, he had heard reports of people playing touch rugby and said "that's just stupid; don't do it".

Stuart-Black was unable to tell media this afternoon where the infected Air NZ staff got Covid-19 from.

However, the advice for staff was "if in doubt", self-isolate.

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

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