Covid 19 coronavirus: Govt reveal number of cases in managed isolation

Can New Zealand go 9 straight days without a community case of Covid-19. Photo / Mark Mitchell

There are seven new cases of Covid-19 in managed isolation in New Zealand today.

There are no community cases today, making it nine days since a community case was reported in our country.

The new cases are:

• One who arrived from the United States on October 26.
• One who arrived from the Ukraine on October 26.
• Two who arrived from Qatar on October 27.
• One who arrived from Dubai on October 28.
• Two who arrived from Qatar on October 29.

All cases were detected during routine isolation and testing processes and are now at the Auckland quarantine facility.

Our total number of active cases is 75 and our total number of confirmed cases is now 1601.

Japan case

The Ministry of Health also concluded its investigation in partnership with Japanese authorities to determine the infection origins of a New Zealand child who returned a weak positive Covid-19 test after their arrival in Japan on October 23.

Further testing of the child, their household and contacts have all revealed negative test results.

"This public health investigation has also investigated the tests and possible historical exposures.

"It has been determined that it was not the result of a recent Covid-19 infection," the ministry said.

"There is no ongoing risk for New Zealand and the case is now closed."

Fishermen

Day 15 testing is being carried out this weekend of members of the group of Russian and Ukrainian mariners who are not already confirmed cases.

More than 400 seaman arrived in New Zealand mid-October on a charter flight to work on fishing vessels.

Within the first three days of their arrival a major outbreak of Covid-19 saw their managed isolation facility go into lockdown with 30 mariners now testing positive for the infection.

The ministry said today that all those who met low-risk indicators, which included those who'd recovered or had returned consistently negative test results throughout their stay, would be eligible to leave managed isolation from Tuesday.

Health officials yesterday announced one new virus case among the mariners.

The person was a close contact of a previously reported case from the group, who had tested positive during day 6 testing and as such was already being closely monitored.

The ministry said yesterday the new case "gives us confidence that the standard practice for managing cases and contacts within managed isolation, supplemented by extending the isolation period and additional testing, was the right approach to take in the circumstances".

Community outbreak

Yesterday, the source of our most recent community outbreak was also confirmed.

A marine engineer tested positive for Covid-19 on October 16 after coming down with symptoms. Three others became infected.

The ministry said genome sequencing confirmed he was infected while working on the Sofrana Surville ship which later travelled back to Australia. Testing on the ship's crew in Queensland had returned the genome subtype linked to the Auckland case, the ministry said.