Covid 19 coronavirus: No new cases in community or MIQ as flights from Sydney resume

Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins announces that NZ has surpassed 300,000 vaccines delivered and set new daily records for dosage numbers. Video / Derek Cheng

There are no new cases of Covid-19 in the community or in managed isolation, the Ministry of Health says.

There are however two historical cases in managed isolation, and a previously reported new case which has now been deemed historical but not considered infectious.

It comes as the first flights from Sydney are due to touch down again this afternoon; after a temporary pause on the travel bubble was announced due to two Covid cases confirmed in the community in New South Wales last week.

The first of the flights is an Air New Zealand plane due to land in Christchurch at 1.20pm. A Qantas flight is expected in Auckland at 2pm.

With flights resuming, the Ministry is asking anyone who was at a location of interest in Sydney at the times specified to follow NSW health advice regarding isolation and testing.

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— Unite against COVID-19 (@covid19nz) May 9, 2021

If they have been at a location interest, they are not allowed to travel to New Zealand within 14 days.

Meanwhile, the Ministry has released information about the two new historical cases in MIQ. One traveller arrived direct from Japan on April 12 and tested positive on day 12 during routine testing in Christchurch.

The other person arrived in New Zealand from Egypt on a United Arab Emirates flight on May 5. The person is in MIQ in Auckland and tested positive on day 0 during routine testing.

Flights from Sydney have resumed after a temporary pause in the bubble late last week. Photo / Ryan Fletcher

The seven-day rolling average of new cases stands at three. The total number of active cases in the country was 27.

Since January 1, there have been 61 historical cases identified out of a total of 472 cases in New Zealand.

The temporary pause on flights from New South Wales late last week was lifted just before midnight last night - after authorities on both sides of the Tasman ruled there was no significant health risk for New Zealand.

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"The current assessment from New Zealand public health officials is that the risk to New Zealand from New South Wales remains low.

"Public health officials have assessed that the situation in Sydney - following two community cases reported earlier in the week - is contained and there is no evidence to suggest widespread, undetected community transmission."

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