Covid 19 Delta outbreak: New cases in Rotorua, Tararua

There are four new Covid-19 community cases in Rotorua and Tararua as Delta continues to spread across the North Island.

Two cases are in Rotorua, and two in Tararua.

The two Lakes district cases were detected after a person sought care at Rotorua Hospital for a non-Covid health matter and then returned a positive test result.

In a statement, health officials said the case was not in contact with any other patients as they were placed in a room set aside for possible Covid-19 cases.

Two healthcare workers involved have also been tested and are now isolating.

The second case is a household contact of the first.

Based on current information, there is a link to cases in Auckland.

In addition, two cases have been reported overnight in the Tararua district, covered by MidCentral DHB.

Both cases reported feeling unwell on Friday November 12, sought prompt testing and are now self-isolating at home.

The cases are linked and the local Public Health Unit is still investigating any links between these and other known cases.

Contact tracing is underway for all four of the cases.

Locations of interest will be added to the Ministry of Health's website when they become available.

Anyone living in these areas or any recent visitors with Covid-19 related symptoms, no matter how mild, should get tested.

A statement on Te Arawa FM's Facebook page from Dr Grace Malcolm, of Pikiao Hauora, urged people to get tested if they had symptoms, and to get vaccinated.

The statement said it was "inevitable" Delta would reach Rotorua, but health providers had hoped to have a bit more time.

Last night the Ministry of Health also confirmed there were now four cases in Taupō - all connected - and one of the cases and a close contact of theirs had travelled to Masterton.

Covid-19 had also been picked up in wastewater in Tauranga and Mount Maunganui - although it was yet to be discovered whether that was community spread or recovered cases shedding the virus.

It follows several confirmed cases in Stratford in Taranaki last week - some of whom had been infectious while in the community for up to two weeks.

There were 175 community cases yesterday, and 93 people are in hospital with the virus.

The latest case numbers will be released by the Health Ministry at 1pm.

And yesterday it emerged a teacher at Auckland's Sacred Heart College tested positive for Covid after teaching two classes while potentially infectious.

Only one student is considered a close contact of the teacher, however, because the other 30 students in his classes were already fully vaccinated, the school's headmaster Stephen Dooley said.

The teacher was potentially infectious at school on Friday, November 5. He has had his first vaccine dose.

The student considered a close contact had also so far only had one dose of the Pfizer vaccine, Dooley said.