Friday, 19 August 2022
Meet the JournalistsPremiumAucklandWellingtonCanterbury/South Island
CrimePoliticsHealthEducationEnvironment and ClimateNZ Herald FocusData journalismKāhu, Māori ContentPropertyWeather
Small BusinessOpinionPersonal FinanceEconomyBusiness TravelCapital Markets
Politics
Premium SportRugbyCricketRacingNetballBoxingLeagueFootballSuper RugbyAthleticsBasketballMotorsportTennisCyclingGolfAmerican SportsHockeyUFC
NZH Local FocusThe Northern AdvocateThe Northland AgeThe AucklanderWaikato HeraldBay of Plenty TimesHawke's Bay TodayRotorua Daily PostWhanganui ChronicleStratford PressManawatu GuardianKapiti NewsHorowhenua ChronicleTe Awamutu Courier
Covid-19
Te Rito
Te Rito
OneRoof PropertyCommercial Property
Open JusticeVideoPodcastsTechnologyWorldOpinion
SpyTVMoviesBooksMusicCultureSideswipeCompetitions
Fashion & BeautyFood & DrinkRoyalsRelationshipsWellbeingPets & AnimalsVivaCanvasEat WellCompetitionsRestaurants & Menus
New Zealand TravelAustralia TravelInternational Travel
Our Green FutureRuralOneRoof Property
Career AdviceCorporate News
Driven MotoringPhotos
SudokuCodecrackerCrosswordsWordsearchDaily quizzes
Classifieds
KaitaiaWhangareiDargavilleAucklandThamesTaurangaHamiltonWhakataneRotoruaTokoroaTe KuitiTaumarunuiTaupoGisborneNew PlymouthNapierHastingsDannevirkeWhanganuiPalmerston NorthLevinParaparaumuMastertonWellingtonMotuekaNelsonBlenheimWestportReeftonKaikouraGreymouthHokitikaChristchurchAshburtonTimaruWanakaOamaruQueenstownDunedinGoreInvercargill
NZ HeraldThe Northern AdvocateThe Northland AgeThe AucklanderWaikato HeraldBay Of Plenty TimesRotorua Daily PostHawke's Bay TodayWhanganui ChronicleThe Stratford PressManawatu GuardianKapiti NewsHorowhenua ChronicleTe Awamutu CourierVivaEat WellOneRoofDriven MotoringThe CountryPhoto SalesNZ Herald InsightsWatchMeGrabOneiHeart RadioRestaurant Hub

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.
New Zealand|Politics

Watch: Two new Covid cases at isolation centres - Ashley Bloomfield

29 Jun, 2020 12:33 AM4 minutes to read
There are two new cases of Covid-19 both recently returned from overseas. Both cases are in managed facilities since they arrived in the country. There are now 22 active cases in New Zealand.

There are two new cases of Covid-19 both recently returned from overseas. Both cases are in managed facilities since they arrived in the country. There are now 22 active cases in New Zealand.

Amelia Wade
By
Amelia Wade

Political reporter

VIEW PROFILE

There are two new cases of Covid-19 - both recently returned from overseas.

Both cases have been in managed facilities since they arrived in the country. There are now 22 active cases in New Zealand.

Yesterday there were four new cases reported in border facilities, with one person in hospital.

The first case is a man in his 50s who arrived from India on June 24.

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

The second case is a woman in her 20s from the United States, who arrived here on June 18. She is the partner of a person who has already tested positive with the disease.

One person remains in a stable condition at Auckland City Hospital. There have now been 1078 cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand.

Of those in managed facilities who left without testing, 1069 people have been contacted and tested negative.

STAY IN THE KNOW. SIGN UP TO OUR DAILY NEWSLETTERS HERE.

There are still 367 people the Ministry of Health is having trouble getting in touch with. Director general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield made a fresh appeal for these people to get in touch with authorities.

Bloomfield said there was an obligation for them to make contact with Healthline. "We just need to remind everybody, everyone has a role to play. They need to do their part."

But Bloomfield said given the lack of community transmission in recent weeks these people appeared to present a very low risk of spreading disease.

Bloomfield revealed more than 50 of the returned travellers who could not be contacted by health authorities did not have phone numbers that worked.

Related articles

New Zealand

Voluntary Covid-19 isolation: 39 people join family in facilities

29 Jun 02:42 AM
World

'It will get worse': Massive increase in Victoria's virus infections

29 Jun 02:22 AM
New Zealand|Politics

Covid 19 coronavirus: Jacinda Ardern eyes law change to charge holidaymakers for managed isolation

30 Jun 01:00 AM
New Zealand

Live: No new cases of Covid-19 today, one patient in hospital

30 Jun 01:26 AM

Review of isolation centres

He said a team was on the ground in Auckland last week making a full in-depth review of the healthcare aspects of managed isolation.

He was awaiting the results of this latest review.

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

Standard surgical masks were now available for those in managed isolation. Those swabbing were expected to wear full personal protective gear.

Given many of those had tested positive on day three of managed isolation, Bloomfield suggested people were being infected in their country of origin.

Since June 16, health authorities had caught up on a backlog in testing new arrivals in managed facilities on both day three and 12.

Compassionate exemptions remained an active discussion with the ministry looking to see what needed to be in place before restarting the special leave. "It's a work in progress and I don't have an indication," says Bloomfield, who also acknowledged he had received flowers following a public appeal.

Face masks

All passengers heading to managed isolation should now be wearing face masks after leaving their aircraft, Bloomfield said.

He was confident about the isolation process surrounding airline staff flying into New Zealand from overseas. Those who were on US routes, a troubling Covid hotspot, were requested to undertake two days of self-isolation before they resumed work.

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

A Ministry of Health staff member had recently flown to the US to check on health protocols.

Bloomfield said at this point widespread use of masks in the community was not necessary.

"There is no doubt that mass masking may play a role if we get community transmission again."

Though it was a potentially important tool in breaking community transmission, because we didn't have community transmission at the moment there was no need for this action.

"There are other more important things we should be doing at the moment but they're definitely not off the table," said Bloomfield.

READ MORE:
• Covid 19 coronavirus: Four new cases of Covid-19; one person in hospital
• Coronavirus Covid-19: What will NZ's next six months look like?
• Covid 19 coronavirus: Jacinda Ardern talks to Mike Hosking about David Clark and Ashley Bloomfield
• Coronavirus Australia: Why Covid-19 isn't going anywhere soon

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

Bloomfield said yesterday: "While news that one of our recent cases is in hospital may be concerning to some, it is something the health system in New Zealand has remained prepared for.

Subscribe to Premium

"I want to reassure the wider community that this person is receiving good treatment from the team at Auckland City Hospital, who have previous experience of managing positive cases."

The other case was a woman in her 30s from India who had been isolating separately from her husband - who earlier tested positive - but was considered a close contact.

Another was a man in his 30s from Nepal who was isolating with three other family members. They were all tested - two were negative and a third was pending. All are being considered close contacts.

And the fourth was a man in his 30s who tested positive as part of the routine day three testing.

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

New Zealand

Local Focus: Graeme Taylor on Candidate Camera

18 Aug 11:14 AM
New Zealand

Live: Army evacuating residents near Nelson over slips, high tide fears

18 Aug 09:00 AM
New Zealand|Crime

Armed police respond to 'serious assault' in Otahuhu

18 Aug 08:46 AM
New Zealand

Waikato Hospital ward in lockdown after Covid spreads

18 Aug 05:30 AM
New Zealand|Crime

Judge changes little boy's name to avoid links to criminal dad

18 Aug 08:00 AM

Most Popular

Live: Army evacuating residents near Nelson over slips, high tide fears
New Zealand

Live: Army evacuating residents near Nelson over slips, high tide fears

18 Aug 09:00 AM
Judge changes little boy's name to avoid links to criminal dad
New Zealand|Crime

Judge changes little boy's name to avoid links to criminal dad

18 Aug 08:00 AM
Seally season: Seal chases cat into marine biologist's lounge
New Zealand

Seally season: Seal chases cat into marine biologist's lounge

18 Aug 06:18 AM

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.
About NZMEHelp & SupportContact UsSubscribe to NZ HeraldHouse Rules
Manage Your Print SubscriptionNZ Herald E-EditionAdvertise with NZMEBook Your AdPrivacy Policy
Terms of UseCompetition Terms & ConditionsSubscriptions Terms & Conditions
© Copyright 2022 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP