Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Residential property listings
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Rural
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Rotorua Daily Post

Covid 19 coronavirus: Five new cases in MIQ as ship with sick crew approaches Lyttelton

NZ Herald
16 Jul, 2021 01:10 AM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

The Playa Zahara is due in the Port of Lyttelton today after 16 of 18 crewmen tested positive for Covid. Photo / Supplied

The Playa Zahara is due in the Port of Lyttelton today after 16 of 18 crewmen tested positive for Covid. Photo / Supplied

There are five cases of Covid-19 in managed isolation and no cases in the community today.

The Ministry of Health said there were now 48 active cases in New Zealand.

There were also four new historical cases – all of whom are also in managed isolation facilities.

The ministry said a previously reported case, from July 11, has now been reclassified as a historical case. All five historical cases are included in the confirmed case tally.

The latest cases were from Indonesia, Fiji, United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Officials say there is one case where it is not known where an infected person came from.

This person was a mariner, unrelated to the Viking Bay or Playa Zahara.

The ministry said this person's travel history was still being determined.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"We expect to be able to provide an update following case interviews," said the ministry.

Of those returnees who tested positive, two people from the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates were found to be infected with Covid on day zero routine testing.

One person who arrived from Fiji on July 12 initially had an indeterminate result on day-three routine testing. A further test on day five came back positive.

The minstry said there four new historical cases of Covid who were all in managed isolation.

A previously reported case from July 11 had now been reclassified as a historical case. All five historical cases were included in the confirmed case tally.

Viking Bay

In its latest update on the Viking Bay, which is currently docked in Wellington, the ministry said four crew members remained in quarantine onboard the fishing vessel at Queens Wharf.

The crew members would continue to be tested during their quarantine.

The remaining 16 crew members remained in quarantine in a Wellington facility onshore.

The crew member who was transferred to the onshore quarantine facility on Tuesday night after becoming unwell had now returned a second negative test.

Playa Zahara

The ministry said when the second vessel with infected seamen on board arrived at Lyttelton Port, 13 of the crew would be moved to a quarantine facility in Chrischurch.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Five crew would remain aboard to maintain basic functions of the vessel.

The transport of the 13 crew to the quarantine facility would be done using standard Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) protocols, including the use of appropriate PPE. IPC protocols would also be adhered to for the ship while it was docked at the port, said the ministry.

The ministry was keeping quiet on the timing of the ship's arrival, saying it would not be provided at this stage for security reasons.

The most recent crew aboard the Playa Zahara arrived in New Zealand on June 18 and spent two days at a managed isolation facility in Auckland. They provided negative pre-departure tests before arriving in New Zealand and again tested negative before boarding the ship.

The 13 crew to be transferred to the quarantine facility would include the two crew who returned negative tests.

Whole genome sequencing of the crew aboard the Playa Zahara was underway.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The ministry said Playa Zahara's shipping agent and its crew were cooperating with officials to ensure the health of those aboard and the safety of the New Zealand public.

By mid-morning it was stationed east of Kaikōura after travelling south from Taranaki, where testing took place earlier this week.

Meanwhile, Australia's growing Covid crisis last night saw the New Zealand Government pause all travel to and from Victoria.

Yesterday there were 10 new community cases in the state that had previously avoided the outbreak surging in neighbouring New South Wales.

The government halted all travel to the state at 1.59am today and would review the decision on Monday.

The move followed updated public health advice from New Zealand officials and a growing number of cases and locations of interest.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Health officials asked anyone who had been in Melbourne in the past week and had since returned to New Zealand to monitor their health, and be aware that the number of locations of interest were steadily increasing.

Travel was suspended to New South Wales on June 23 with the emergence of community cases.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua Daily Post

Man admits having $20k of stolen goods in mysterious arson case

04 Jul 06:00 PM
Rotorua Daily Post

Farmer's harrowing hours crushed beneath tractor

04 Jul 02:00 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

Farmer's harrowing hours crushed beneath tractor

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Man admits having $20k of stolen goods in mysterious arson case

Man admits having $20k of stolen goods in mysterious arson case

04 Jul 06:00 PM

William Tidd tried to sell the stolen items hours after the incident.

Farmer's harrowing hours crushed beneath tractor

Farmer's harrowing hours crushed beneath tractor

04 Jul 02:00 AM
Farmer's harrowing hours crushed beneath tractor

Farmer's harrowing hours crushed beneath tractor

'Social dysfunction at its worst': Two people sentenced over Rotorua teen prostitution ring

'Social dysfunction at its worst': Two people sentenced over Rotorua teen prostitution ring

04 Jul 01:08 AM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP