Yesterday three new cases of Covid-19 were reported in New Zealand. Photo / 123rf
New Zealand has two new cases of Covid-19 in managed isolation today.
The Ministry of Health says the first case is "a male teenager who arrived in New Zealand from the USA on July 29".
"He tested positive for Covid-19 as part of routine testing around day three of his stay in managed isolation at the Sudima Hotel in Auckland, and has since been transferred to the quarantine facility," they said in a statement.
"The second case is a man in his 20s who arrived in New Zealand from Switzerland via Amsterdam and Seoul on July 20.
"He has been staying at the Sudima Hotel in Christchurch and tested negative around day three of his stay, then tested positive at his second routine test."
The Ministry of Health says the case again emphasises the importance of testing returnees in managed isolation twice before they are able to leave the facility.
There are 27 active Covid-19 cases in managed isolation and quarantine facilities. New Zealand's total number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 is 1217.
Laboratories in NZ processed 1692 Covid-19 tests on Sunday, "of which 1259 swabs were taken in the community and 433 swabs were taken in managed isolation or quarantine facilities".
The ministry again encouraged residents of Queenstown to get swabbed for Covid-19.
"Testing will help confirm that there is no community transmission in the region, which is linked to the traveller who arrived in South Korea and has tested positive for Covid-19. This testing is available for both symptomatic and non-symptomatic people.
"A pop-up testing site will be set up at the Pak'nSave carpark in Frankton on Tuesday August 4 from 9am–5pm."
The ministry provided more detail about travellers heading overseas, saying "on Saturday, we provided context around two recent investigations where travellers from New Zealand were reported by media as having tested positive for Covid-19.
"The first investigation involved a woman who transited through Auckland from Los Angeles to Sydney on July 6. We have not identified any close contacts who need to be traced or tested. We continue to work with the airline and airport.
"The second investigation involved a woman who travelled from Auckland to Sydney on July 20.
"Contact tracing has now concluded, and all close contacts have been tested and returned negative results. As we said on Saturday, it appears this may have been a previously undetected case from March or April, which is likely to have led to the positive test result."
Director-general of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said New Zealanders needed to "continue to be vigilant against the threat of Covid-19".
"We have seen how quickly infection can spread within communities, cities and states overseas," he said.
"There is still a pandemic raging around the globe and while our strict border controls form our first line of defence from the virus, we need to be sure it has not crept undetected into our communities."
The ministry said results from a recent survey of GPs showed "half of the 800 GPs surveyed had seen patients who declined a Covid test and that the proportion of patients that declined was on average 25 per cent".
Dr Bloomfield encouraged all people who were offered a test to have it done.
The ministry "noted that public participation in surveillance of influenza-like illness has declined from a peak of 70,000 FluTracking survey respondents at alert level 4, which is now down to 50,000 respondents.
"FluTracking, a simple online initiative, helps monitor flu activity in New Zealand by showing how prevalent flu-like symptoms are in individual areas. The ministry is able to use this data to make sure resources, such as vaccinations, are where they are needed most. It is also an important part of our Covid-19 surveillance."
Yesterday, there were three new cases of the virus in managed isolation - one child and two women.
The child was linked to a previously reported case and arrived in New Zealand on July 14 from Pakistan, via Dubai.
One woman, in her 30s, arrived in New Zealand on July 28 from Los Angeles.
She's been staying at the Rydges in Auckland and tested positive for Covid-19 as part of routine testing around day three of her stay in managed isolation.
The second woman was in her 40s and arrived in New Zealand on August 1 from Manila, via Hong Kong.
The three people were at the Auckland quarantine facility, the ministry said.
As of yesterday, there were 1215 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand. It had been 93 days since the last case acquired locally from an unknown source. There was no one in New Zealand receiving hospital-level care for Covid-19.
The ministry said laboratories on Saturday completed 2401 tests, "of which 2023 swabs were taken in the community, and 378 were taken in managed isolation and quarantine facilities".
This brought the total number of tests completed to date to 470,469.
Melbourne residents meanwhile have returned to a gut-wrenching lockdown, with the state's opposition leader Michael O'Brien lashing out at the new restrictions and declaring: "Victorians don't deserve this".
Victorian Premier Dan Andrews announced stage-four restrictions - and a state of disaster - for Melbourne on Sunday afternoon, including a curfew from 8pm (10pm NZT) to 5am (7am NZT) for anyone living in the metropolitan area.
Andrews said Sunday "is by far the hardest day" as he announced 671 new cases of Covid-19 and seven deaths along with new unprecedented stage four restrictions.
O'Brien said: "In declaring a State of Disaster, Premier Daniel Andrews has conceded that his government has lost control of Covid-19 in this state.
"The failings of the Labor Government in hotel quarantine, in testing and in contact tracing have led to millions of Victorians being subjected to the harshest restrictions in our history.
"Curfews. Businesses that will be closed. Limits on daily exercise. Limits on shopping. Limits on moving five kilometres from your home. Unprecedented in their nature and their intrusion into the lives of Victorians."
Lockdown officially began in Victoria after new restrictions came into effect overnight.
Statement on Melbourne moving to Stage 4 restrictions: pic.twitter.com/mFu1Kr1NO0
— Dan Andrews (@DanielAndrewsMP) August 2, 2020
Metropolitan Melbourne is now under stage-four restrictions and faces the following rules and restrictions:
• A curfew – from 8pm to 5am – starting tonight. The only reasons to leave home during these hours will be work, medical care and caregiving.
• The Night Network will be suspended, and public transport services will be reduced during curfew hours.
• Exercise will be limited to a maximum of one hour per day and no more than five kilometres from your home. Group size will be limited to a maximum of two – you and one other person – whether you live with them or not.
• Shopping will be limited to one person per household per day. Again, the five-kilometre rule will apply.
• Study at TAFE and uni must be done remotely.
• Weddings will be banned – unless on compassionate reasons.
• Face coverings will continue to be compulsory.
• All Victorian students across all year levels will return to at-home learning.
• Non-essential businesses will be forced to close.
• There will be some common-sense exceptions. For example, if you live more than five kilometres from your closest supermarket or if you have children that can't be left at home.
Residents say there is more to the story than Gisborne's economic ranking suggests.