Covid 19 Omicron: Location of five Covid-19 cases in Whanganui DHB region revealed

All five cases are from Marton and are household contacts. Photo / Bevan Conley

It has been confirmed the five Covid-19 cases reported over the weekend in the Whanganui District Health Board region are all located in the Marton area.

Testing is well under way with close contacts being followed up, the DHB said in a statement.

Close contact testing and notifications are currently under way with Public Health.

Covid-19 testing will be available at Marton's Memorial Hall from 11am-3pm on Tuesday.

The total number of confirmed cases in the Whanganui DHB area is six active with one recovered.

Testing numbers were quite low across the region over the weekend, with just 28 people getting tested on Saturday and 24 on Sunday.

Another update is expected at 1pm on Monday.

Locations of interest can be checked at the link below but there are currently no locations of interest listed for the Whanganui DHB region.

https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid19-health-advice-public/contact-tracing-covid-19/covid-19-contact-tracing-locations-interest

Whanganui DHB chief executive Russell Simpson said a rise in case numbers was expected as community transmission increased across the country.

"The Whanganui DHB catchment also serves as a main thoroughfare with SH1, 3 and 4 passing through the district," Simpson said.

"Our region is also surrounded by increasing case numbers in other DHB areas. I would expect to see case numbers rise across our region in the coming days as community transmission becomes more widespread."

Testing

If you have any symptoms of Covid-19, including a runny nose, headache, fatigue, sneezing, sore throat, cough or loss of taste or smell, you are advised to isolate and arrange to be tested.

Tests may also be available at some GP clinics and pharmacies for people with Covid-19
symptoms.

Whanganui rohe testing clinic information is available online at
www.healthpoint.co.nz/community-health-services/community-health/whanganui-covid-19-community-testing-centres/. The information is updated daily.

You can also call the Covid-19 Healthline on 0800 358 5453 any time.

Vaccinations

The Whanganui rohe vaccination clinic list is updated daily and is available online at https://www.healthpoint.co.nz/covid-19-vaccination/whanganui/

You can also contact your GP and local pharmacy to see if they are providing Covid-19 vaccinations.

"We encourage our community to be thinking about how to take care of themselves and their whānau should Covid-19 affect them," the DHB statement said.

Where possible reach out to neighbours and whānau, talk about support plans and how you can help each other. Maintain the Covid-19 rules - wear your mask, sanitise your hands, record where you have been and maintain physical distancing."