Covid 19 Delta outbreak: Second Covid-positive West Auckland rest-home resident dies

A woman in her 90s is the second resident at a West Auckland rest home to die since testing positive for Covid-19.

In a statement, the Ministry of Health said the Edmonton Meadows Care Home resident died in North Shore Hospital on Saturday night.

She had a number of underlying health conditions and had Covid-19.

"Our thoughts are with her whānau at this deeply sad time. Her underlying health conditions and the state of her health meant it was not clinically appropriate for her to receive ventilator or ICU care," the ministry said.

"Her family was regularly updated and had the opportunity to speak with her regularly by phone. The family has been offered cultural support by the DHB."

'

The woman was admitted to hospital on November 6.

This woman is the second resident to die since the outbreak at the Edmonton Meadows Care Home. So far there are 25 cases of Covid-19 in staff and residents.

Shanti Kumari, died earlier this month, one day after she was diagnosed with Covid-19.

Health officials said she succumbed to a non-Covid-related condition but her family said that was disingenuous.

"We want the record to be set straight," a family member told the Weekend Herald. "It's frustrating. It's not actually what happened.

"Yes, she was frail, she was old. Yes, she was nearing the end. But she was still functioning. If she hadn't contracted Covid, she wouldn't be in hospital and she wouldn't have succumbed. That was just literally the last nail in the coffin."

So far, 33 people have died since New Zealand recorded its first case of Covid-19.

13 of those cases have died in Auckland, 7 in the Waitematā DHB and 3 in both the Auckland and Counties Manukau DHBs.

Changes were made by the Ministry of Health on Wednesday to the way they will publicly report deaths associated with Covid-19.

A Ministry of Health spokesperson said changes were made to "improve timelines and allow time for other health-related factors to be considered".

"The Ministry's clinical criteria for reporting a Covid-19 death will continue to be guided by the World Health Organisation's definition for deaths due to Covid-19."

However, the Ministry will now report Covid-19 deaths where the virus contributed to or caused the death.

The Ministry will also report on deaths where the cause of death is unknown, but a person who had Covid-19 is "under investigation" until the medical reports accompanying the death have been assessed and the death formally confirmed as having died of, or with, Covid-19.