After three community cases were announced in Auckland, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that the region will shift to Alert Level 3 and the rest of NZ to Alert Level 2 from 11:59pm Sunday. Video / Ministry of Health
KEY POINTS * Three community cases in South Auckland - a father, mother and daughter. * No change to alert levels at this stage, with more information expected this evening. * The mother works at LSG Sky Chefs in Māngere. * The daughter goes to Papatoetoe High School which will be closed tomorrowand Tuesday. * Two of the confirmed cases visited various locations in New Plymouth on February 6-7. It's unclear if they were infectious when they visited. * They also visited Pak N Save Manukau on Friday February 12 for about 15 minutes, sometime between 3.45pm and 5pm.
Health authorities are gathering more information about the three new community Covid-19 cases in South Auckland reported today - a mother, father and daughter from Papatoetoe.
Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins fronted a press conference in the Beehive with director general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield this afternoon.
The father is a self-employed tradesman and the daughter is a high school student at Auckland's Papatoetoe High School.
The mother works at LSG Sky Chefs in Māngere, which services at least 34 airlines around the world, according to its website, including Air New Zealand.
Hipkins revealed that the mother and daughter have returned tests which confirm they are "new and active".
Those test results came through late last night and Hipkins said he was told about them this morning.
There have been no changes to alert levels and New Zealand is still at alert level 1.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is flying down from Auckland this afternoon to be briefed on the situation.
Hipkins said that more information will be available later tonight.
The family are in the process of being moved to Jet Park.
Pak'nSave Manukau. Photo / Peter Meecham
Locations of interest
• Papatoetoe High School (Auckland), where one of the cases is a Year 9 student. Papatoetoe High School will be closed on Monday and Tuesday. Staff, parents and caregivers are getting information directly from the school today including instructions on what they should do if they are close or casual contacts. The Ministry of Health's key advice relating to this location is to stay home and self-isolate until you receive further information from the school.
• Pak'nSave Manukau - Friday, February 12 3.45pm and 5pm. Foodstuffs said its Pak'nSave store in Manukau will remain open, saying the Auckland Regional Public Health Service has advised the risk to staff and shoppers is reasonably low.
• Taranaki tourist locations February 6-8 Two of the cases visited various locations in New Plymouth on February 6-7. It's unclear if they were infectious when they visited. The Ministry of Health is set to confirm further details relating to these locations shortly. Anyone in this area that develops any symptoms should stay home and isolate and call Healthline to arrange a test, the Ministry of Health said.
Where to get tested
In Auckland, the hours for the regional community testing centres in Northcote, Balmoral, Henderson and Ōtara have been extended today.
Bloomfield said it's important that the right people get testing and warned people not to get a test unless they need one.
If anyone is unwell, with symptoms, he called on people not to go out.
Northcote Community Testing Centre The centre is located at 16-18 College Rd, Northcote. It is open until 6pm today, from 8.30am-4.30pm February 15-19 and 8.30am-2.30pm February 20.
In central Auckland, Balmoral Community Testing Centre at 182 Balmoral Rd, Mt Eden is open until 6pm today and 8.30am-4.30pm February 15-19. It's open 8.30am-2.30pm February 20.
Whānau House, Waipareira Trust Henderson The Henderson testing centre is on the corner of Edsel St and Catherine St. It closed at 4pm today, but will be back open tomorrow through to February 19 from 8.00am-4.00pm.
Health New Lynn A community testing centre is located in the level one carpark of Totara Health Services in New Lynn. It's open Monday - Friday from 8.30am-4.30pm.
The Whānau Ora Community Clinic The community testing centre in Wiri is open today until 6pm at 25 Druces Rd. The centre will be open February 15-19 from 8.30am–4.30pm and February 8.30am-2.30pm
Ōtara Community Testing Centre A community testing centre is open at the Ōtara Town Centre car park until 6pm today. It will be open February 15-19 8:30am-4:00pm
Bloomfield said the mother works at LSG in Māngere.
Her main duty was within the laundry area of Sky Chefs, but she is also involved with the packing of food.
She had a negative result on January 18.
Bloomfield said Air NZ has been briefed.
The company services at least 34 airlines around the world, according to its website, including Air New Zealand.
In August it announced it was planning to lay off about 450 staff across New Zealand as a result of the impacts of Covid-19 on the travel industry. The company had earlier claimed about $9.7m in government wage subsidies, for 841 staff.
