Covid 19 coronavirus: Two new cases - in managed isolation; rubbish bin cluster closed

Director-general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield during a Covid-19 response update at the Ministry of Health in Wellington last month. Photo / Mark Mitchell

There are two new cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand - both in managed isolation - and no new community cases. It is now 10 days since there has been a community case.

The Ministry of Health said the new cases are:

• A person who arrived from Amsterdam via Singapore on October 23

• A person who arrived from the UK via Dubai and Malaysia on October 19

They were detected during routine isolation and testing processes and were now at the Auckland quarantine facility, the ministry said.

New Zealand's total number of active cases is 77 - there have been 1603 cases overall.

Laboratories yesterday completed 4401 tests, bringing to 1,101,067 the number of tests completed.

Christchurch rubbish bin cluster closed

The ministry also announced the Christchurch returnee cluster had been closed.

"It has been more than 28 days since the last case – the length of two infection cycles – and the cluster is now officially closed," the ministry said.

This cluster began with the report on September 19 of a person who developed symptoms and was tested after finishing 14 days in managed isolation and returning two negative tests on days 3 and 12.

"As a result of an investigation within the managed isolation facility, the most likely source of infection was thought to be as a result of transfer of the infection via a rubbish bin with a lid shared with their neighbour who had developed the infection between the two tests in the facility.

"There are seven cases linked to the cluster - six announced as cases in the community (on September 19, 20 and 23) and the seventh (September 9) detected while still in managed isolation, but subsequently linked to the other six cases.

"Lessons from this cluster have resulted in changes being made, including informing our ongoing auditing and strengthening of our managed isolation procedures and processes."

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced this morning that England would be returning to a national lockdown until December 1.

Yesterday, there were seven new cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand, all of which were in managed isolation.

It marked nine days since a community case was reported in our country.

Yesterday's cases were:

• One who arrived from the United States on October 26

• One who arrived from the Ukraine on October 26

• Two who arrived from Qatar on October 27

• One who arrived from Dubai on October 28

• Two who arrived from Qatar on October 29