Covid 19 Omicron outbreak: Over 200 Navy personnel isolating after outbreak

A Covid-19 outbreak within the Royal New Zealand Navy has infected dozens of personnel and left 216 isolating at various locations, including at Auckland's Narrow Neck facility.

As of Monday, a New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) spokesperson said, 65 Navy personnel have tested positive for Covid-19 while 151 Navy personnel are isolating.

Close or household contacts, or ill, are isolating at various locations, including some at Narrow Neck.

Of those isolating, 127 are household contacts or close contacts of people who have been confirmed with Covid-19, and 24 are unwell and awaiting the results of testing.

A small group of personnel with no known exposure risk, have been moved out of their accommodation at the Narrow Neck facility to other accommodation.

The Narrow Neck facility is part of the Devonport Naval Base and houses the officer training school.

Last August, the facility was put into lockdown following a positive wastewater sample during the Delta outbreak.

"All personnel are adhering to MOH guidelines around mask-wearing, distancing, hand washing and limiting contact time," the defence force said in a statement.

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Given the current number of cases across the country, the spokesperson said it is not unexpected to have cases occur in Navy personnel, especially those in Auckland.

"NZDF has a workplace mitigation framework in place to limit the impact these cases could have on NZDF personnel, tasks and operations."

Last October a crew member on the Royal New Zealand Navy frigate HMNZS Te Kaha tested positive for Covid-19.

The positive test result was returned during routine testing of the ship's crew after a port visit to Guam, the Defence Force said at the time.

On Tuesday New Zealand recorded 19,566 new cases, with 373 people in hospital, including nine in ICU.