Omicron puts MIQ bookings back on ice, navy vessels set off to help Tonga and a prominent sportsman faces jail time after stealing from his grandfather in the latest New Zealand Herald headlines. Video / NZ Herald
Health authorities are chasing up 10 people who have been deemed close contacts of the current MIQ Omicron case but are yet to be tested - as one of the case's household contacts tests positive for Covid-19.
The 10 people, from two bus trips taken by the Omicron case, would be followed up in person, the Ministry of Health said yesterday.
The vast majority - 75 - of the case's 86 contacts identified, as of yesterday morning, had returned negative test results, to date, including all other people who lived with the MIQ worker.
The MIQ worker, who was based at Auckland's Stamford Plaza and is fully vaccinated, tested positive for Covid-19 last week during surveillance testing. It was later confirmed they had the Omicron variant.
The two bus trips were among a number of locations of interest linked to the Omicron case released by health authorities last week. There were no exposure events at this stage linked to the MIQ worker's positive household contact, the ministry said yesterday, but further case interviews were under way.
Health authorities urged anyone who lived in Auckland with symptoms, no matter how mild, to get a Covid-19 test, even they were vaccinated, and to stay home until they had returned a negative test result.
"Our objective is to stamp out and prevent any onward transmission," the ministry said.
Otago University epidemiologist Professor Michael Baker told the Herald yesterday it appeared the initial case hadn't been very infectious.
"Contact tracing is often like peeling back layers of onion: you work your way through people with less and less intense exposure, until you see a positive," he said.
"But generally, if the person is highly infectious, that inner ring of the onion gives you your first indication."
Baker said as the incubation period for Omicron was relatively short – possibly only three days – any positive results would have been returned quickly.
"So, I'd say this is looking very low risk at this point."
Yesterday, there were 14 new community cases of Covid-19; seven in Auckland, six in the Lakes DHB region and one case in Wellington - while there were 30 new cases at the border.
Thirty people were in hospital with the virus yesterday, including two in ICU. All were in hospitals in Auckland, bar one which was in hospital in Tauranga.
Thousands of 5- to 11-year-olds turned up to get their first dose of the paediatric Covid-19 vaccine on Monday, the first day the vaccine was made available.
Jezelle Clark, 8, gets her Covid shot at the vaccination centre at Papakura Marae on Monday. Photo / Dean Purcell
In total, 14,367 doses were administered with more than 500 sites throughout the country able to provide the vaccine to the age group.
Meanwhile, the police announced a new mandatory vaccination policy yesterday for all employees, contractors, volunteers, suppliers, new employees and visitors who worked or entered police sites.
Everyone covered by the policy would be required to have their first Covid-19 vaccination by February 11 and have had their second by March 11.
However, people accessing a police station or site for essential services, those brought into a station for services relating to enforcement and operation activities, and those in police custody were exempt from the policy.
