Medical Officer of Health Nick Jones said Hawke's Bay must remain vigilant and continue testing for Covid-19. Photo / File
Medical Officer of Health Nick Jones said Hawke's Bay must remain vigilant and continue testing for Covid-19. Photo / File
A top Hawke's Bay's doctor says the region is not completely cut off from the world and people need to be vigilant to prevent Covid-19 transmission.
Testing numbers in Hawke's Bay DHB's area have dropped significantly in recent weeks.
During alert level 2, more than 1000 Covid-19 tests a weekwere being carried out, but last week that had dropped to 398.
It's a trend that is echoed across NZ, with director-general of health Ashley Bloomfield concerned that some people are declining tests because they're confident there is no community transmission in NZ.
When Health Minister Chris Hipkins was first appointed, he said 4000 tests a day nationwide was a reasonable level of testing – including those in managed isolation, who are required to be tested at day three and day 12.
Almost three times as many tests were carried out in the region in the week beginning May 18 (1125) when the country was in lockdown level 2, but it has largely been on a downward trajectory since.
"While we do not have managed isolation facilities in Hawke's Bay, we're still connected to the outside world through our port," Dr Nicholas Jones says.
The total number of Covid tests carried out to date in Hawke's Bay is 15,826, nationwide it's 446,367.
Hawke's Bay District Health Board Medical Officer of Health Dr Nick Jones said there is a need for "vigilance" regarding the possibility of new Covid cases in Hawke's Bay.
"This applies not only to the need to continue testing, but also to staying at home when we are unwell and using the Covid app to record possible indoor contacts," he said.
"While we do not have managed isolation facilities in Hawke's Bay, we're still connected to the outside world through our port, like any region with a working port," Jones said.
"There are good systems in place to minimise any risks, but we need to be ready if something unexpected happens."
Bloomfield said the three primary reasons national testing rates had dropped were the rates of flu were 20 per cent lower than normal because of the lockdown, and fewer people were presenting with symptoms, school holidays and weekends tended to see lower test numbers and people were declining tests.
There are currently 27 active cases in New Zealand and nobody in hospital.
It has been 82 days since the last case of community transmission.
Bloomfield said testing is an "absolutely fundamental part of our strategy" and needed to be accessible to the population, even during weekends.
"We have a programme well under way to test people working in quarantine and managed isolation facilities, including other staff seconded in."
Jones said the current government focus of testing people most likely to be exposed to a person arriving from outside the country is "the right one" for now.
"However, we also need to continue to test other people with symptoms of Covid," he said.
"This all helps to provide on-going reassurance that we are still at Level 1 with no community transmission."
A spokesperson for Napier Port said it had a "robust system in place", in line with the protocols and guidelines set out by the Ministry of Health and Maritime New Zealand.
"To manage the maritime border at the port and minimise risk to our people and our wider community. We continue to work closely with these authorities, and specifically Hawke's Bay DHB, during alert level 1."
