Covid 19 coronavirus: Three weeks since Hawke's Bay's last case

Congrats Hawke's Bay! It's been three weeks since the last Covid-19 case was recorded in the region. Photo / Paul Taylor

It has officially been three weeks since Hawke's Bay had a positive Covid-19 case.

As of Monday, 39 of the region's 44 recorded cases had recovered.

That news comes on the same day New Zealand Customs announced it was undertaking an investigation into the Ruby Princess cruise ship to establish whether any offences have been committed.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern made the announcement alongside Education Minister Chris Hipkins at Monday's post-Cabinet press conference.

There was no timeline on the investigation, Ardern said.

The Ruby Princess visited New Zealand and Australian ports in mid-March, and allowed passengers off in Sydney when many were feeling ill.

The virus tore through the ship and sparked cases in Australia and New Zealand. Sixteen cases in Hawke's Bay have been linked to the ship which docked in Napier on March 14.

Since disembarking in Sydney, 18 passengers from the ship have died and hundreds of confirmed cases have been linked to the vessel

Meanwhile under level 2 the Hawke's Bay DHB is asking people to remain cautious as community health services resume around the region.

Hawke's Bay DHB's community oral health services for tamariki have resumed under alert level 2 with dental hubs and mobile dental units open and operational from Monday.

If your child needs a routine dental check-up, or you have any dental concerns which may require an urgent appointment, text the team on 027-273-6731 and they will be in touch to arrange a suitable time.

All tamariki will be verbally screened for Covid-19 and other minor illness prior to appointments, as per Dental Council of New Zealand guidelines.

The DHB on Friday updated its emergency department (ED) visitor policy under alert level 2 following feedback from senior Emergency Department clinicians, who asked for the no-visitor policy to remain in place.

Head of department Mark Barlow said the physical constraints of the department made it impossible for people to be able to maintain physical distancing of at least a metre between patients and staff if visitors were able to come into the department.

Restrictions remain in force for high-risk areas such as the Intensive Care, Mental Health Inpatient Unit, Special Care Baby Unit and maternity units where only one visitor and one visit per day will be allowed.

In other hospital areas it will still be one visitor at a time, but more than one person will be able to visit during the day. Each person can only visit once a day.