New Zealand records Fresh cases of COVID19

[lovetravellingoz]

Media release by NZ Ministry of Health​

26 January 2021

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Update on Northland case​

Sixteen people have been identified as potential close contacts of the previously reported case in Northland. Of those, 15 people have returned negative tests, including a household contact of the case.

An additional close contact is awaiting their test result. A total of 157 staff from the managed isolation facility at Pullman Hotel have been tested, along with 192 guests currently in the facility. Of those, 30 still have test results to come, and all others have returned negative results.

Contact tracing staff are following up with 357 people who departed the managed isolation facility between 9 and 24 January. Of that number, 325 have been contacted, are isolation and have been or are being tested. The remaining former guests are being followed up today.

187 people received a push notification as a result of having scanned into one of 31 locations of interest. A further location was added yesterday and is on the Ministry’s website. At this time 154 people have been identified as ‘casual plus’ contacts, as a result of either the push notification or after speaking with Healthline following media publicity. These people are being tested and are isolating until they receive their result.

The source investigation into how the Northland case was infected continues today at the managed isolation facility. This includes reviewing CCTV footage at the facility and looking at whether the infection may have occurred from person-to-person or surface transmission, or airborne transmission, including possibly the ventilation system.

 

[nutwood]

Media release by NZ Ministry of Health​

26 January 2021

​

Update on Northland case​

Sixteen people have been identified as potential close contacts of the previously reported case in Northland. Of those, 15 people have returned negative tests, including a household contact of the case.

An additional close contact is awaiting their test result. A total of 157 staff from the managed isolation facility at Pullman Hotel have been tested, along with 192 guests currently in the facility. Of those, 30 still have test results to come, and all others have returned negative results.

Contact tracing staff are following up with 357 people who departed the managed isolation facility between 9 and 24 January. Of that number, 325 have been contacted, are isolation and have been or are being tested. The remaining former guests are being followed up today.

187 people received a push notification as a result of having scanned into one of 31 locations of interest. A further location was added yesterday and is on the Ministry’s website. At this time 154 people have been identified as ‘casual plus’ contacts, as a result of either the push notification or after speaking with Healthline following media publicity. These people are being tested and are isolating until they receive their result.

The source investigation into how the Northland case was infected continues today at the managed isolation facility. This includes reviewing CCTV footage at the facility and looking at whether the infection may have occurred from person-to-person or surface transmission, or airborne transmission, including possibly the ventilation system.

Why is it that NZ media releases always seem more down to earth and based on common sense? Are Kiwi's, as a nation, less tolerant of bureaucratic BS or is there another factor? After all, they gifted us John Clarke!

 

[Lynda2475]

From SMH:

‘Evolving rapidly’: No change to green zone measures with two more cases in New Zealand

Acting Chief Medical Officer Professor Michael Kidd says two new cases have emerged in New Zealand, meaning the federal government has not yet made a decision about lifting the pause on green zone flights.

“We’ve been advised by the New Zealand authorities that two more positive cases have been identified in New Zealand in people who had also been in hotel quarantine at the Pullman Hotel in Auckland,” Professor Kidd said.

“The situation is evolving rapidly.”

The current suspension is in place until 2pm tomorrow.

Professor Kidd said Australian authorities would be monitoring and liaising with New Zealand health authorities closely.

“We will be following up the details of both of these cases with the New Zealand authorities once further details, including the results of additional testing, are known,” Professor Kidd said.

“The Australian government has not made a decision about whether to lift the pause on green zone flights.”

 

[lovetravellingoz]

A little more detail on the two most recent cases:

The pair have returned weak positive results and are at home isolating, a ministry spokesman said on Wednesday evening.​

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“It is yet to be confirmed if they are recent or historical infections,” he said.​

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“Further urgent testing is being carried out this evening.”​

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The results of those tests were expected later on Wednesday night, a spokesman said.​

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The people are asymptomatic and previously returned two negative tests, the ministry spokesman said.​

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“As a precaution, Public Health staff are checking details with the individuals about their movements since they left managed isolation to identify close and casual contacts if contact tracing is required.”​

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Microbiologist Siouxsie Wiles told Radio NZ’s Checkpoint a weak positive result can indicate either the “very start” of an infection, or a historical infection.​

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“Both of those two things are really, really important, and that’s why further testing is being carried out to confirm that,” she said.​

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“If it’s a historical case then this is obviously somebody who has had COVID in the past and is not infectious.​

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“If it’s a weak positive, that is the very start of an infection, then it may well be just at the very start of somebody becoming infectious.”​

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If the results of urgent testing come back positive, any decisions about changing coronavirus alert levels would depend on how many places the people visited while infectious, Wiles said.​

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COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said earlier on Wednesday 255 guests of the Pullman had tested negative, and more tests were pending.​

‘Urgent testing’ under way in NZ after more post-quarantine cases found

The New Zealand Ministry of Health is carrying out “urgent testing” after two more people tested positive for COVID-19 after leaving hotel quarantine.

www.smh.com.au

So just as we have often seen in Australia, including with recent examples at the AO, with weak positive results further testing and analysis is being done to determine whether they are recovered cases now viral shedding, or whether it is indeed a genuine new infection for one or both of these two new cases.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

More detail on the latest two cases.

The two cases in the community have the same South African strain of the virus as the Northland woman infected at the Pullman Hotel.

The pair are an adult and a child, Covid Response Minister Chris Hipkins confirmed this morning

Genome testing overnight had shown the pair were linked to the first infection at the Pullman Hotel, which was the highly infectious South African strain.

That meant they had potentially come into contact with the returnee with the South African strain while staying at the Pullman, Hipkins told Newstalk ZB's Mike Hosking.

The first results of the pair's close contact had come back negative. There were six close contacts in total.

The infected pair had not moved far since returning to their home after being in managed isolation.

Hipkins said they were a family that were not particularly active.

There had been extensive testing under way for all returnees that had left the Pullman. Around 300 people had already tested negative. Another 54 people were still to be tested.

Adult, child infected with South African strain in MIQ

Auckland pair test positive after release from Pullman Hotel.

www.nzherald.co.nz

As genomic sequencing has occurred that means the two cases will have a live virus (you need to be able to grow the virus to be able to perform this test) and so will not be viral shedding cases, and so will not be an old infection.

 

[DaveB]

Surprised that it took so long for NZ to have a second outbreak from it's hotel quarantine and that it occurred in Auckland and not a regional centre being used like Hamilton or Rotorua from where they bus Kiwi's arriving at Auckland.
NZ hotel quarantine system has largely prevented Kiwis from travelling to Australia as their return hotel quarantine system is not coping with demand.
It was a herculean task for our NZ resident daughter to come over with her six month baby this January to see her grandparents for the first time with a hotel quarantine spot necessary to be booked before the airfare. Not helped when Virgin took her booking and then cancelled a few days later and QF operating two flights weekly to AKL.
Current quarantine bookings are fully booked through to May with June spots being released in February.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Surprised that it took so long for NZ to have a second outbreak from it's hotel quarantine

NZ has had quite a number of outbreaks from HQ and this coughulatively is a long way past being their second HQ outbreak. This latest instance of 1 and 2 this week are but just one of many HQ issues, though last previous HQ instances were a little while back in November. Most however have not created many cases.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Media release by NZ Minsitry of Health​

Salient part

28 January 2021

Whole genome sequencing carried out overnight has confirmed the two border-related COVID-19 cases that were reported out of cycle last night are observed to be variant 20C/501Y.V2 (lineage B.1.351), first identified in South Africa.

From the information we currently have, it appears these cases have a link to the managed isolation facility at the Pullman Hotel however further investigation is currently underway to confirm how close the lineage of these cases is to the previously reported case in Northland.

The two latest cases have now been transferred to a quarantine facility in Auckland, separate from the Pullman. A third family member, who has returned negative COVID-19 tests, is currently isolating at home.

Eight locations of interest have been identified in relation to the two latest cases and are listed on our website. From information available so far, we have identified 11 close contacts - all of whom are isolating and have had their first test. Five results have come back negative, and the results of the remainder are still to come back.

Investigations will continue today into the latest two cases, including further interviews with contact tracing staff. As a result, a potential increase in the number of locations of interest, close and casual plus contacts is not unexpected.

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[Lynda2475]

From SMH:

Acting CMO Michael Kidd announces NZ travel bubble suspended until Sunday​

Special travel arrangements allowing people to travel from New Zealand to Australia without undertaking quarantine have been suspended for three more days after three cases with the strain were detected in Auckland.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

A fourth person released from isolation in Auckland’s Pullman hotel has tested positive for Covid-19, leaving New Zealand health authorities baffled as the country tackles the outbreak.

The individual had been self-isolating at their home in Hamilton, in the North Island, since leaving the hotel on January 30, and had returned three negative test results before testing positive.

The person lives with two other people, who are being treated as close contacts. Both have returned negative results.

New Zealand’s director of public health, Caroline McElnay, today conceded health officials were “scratching their heads” over the case, adding that investigations were still underway.

It has not yet been confirmed whether the individual had crossed paths with three other positive cases from the hotel, the most recent of whom left on January 15. That person had stayed on the same floor as today’s confirmed case.

McElnay said the ministry was still investigating the spread.

“We haven’t ruled out any possibilities,” she said, adding: “We are scratching our heads a little.”

As it stands, everyone who emerges from isolation at the Pullman is required to self-isolate for a further five days at home. Today’s case was in their fifth day of isolation.

“We’re looking at all the options,” McElnay said when asked if people would need to self-isolate for longer.

“That’s something that is under active review.”

She said it would be a very “sensible precaution”.

Today marks the fifth person linked to the hotel to have caught the virus, after three other guests tested positive after leaving, and another caught it from one of the returnees.

The last case of community transmission in New Zealand was in Auckland on 18 November.

 

[Must...Fly!]

So NZ are using the words community transmission per the dictionary

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

So NZ are using the words community transmission per the dictionary

My article was copied off news.com.au

So the last line ‘Community transmission‘ is news’ interpretation

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Three more community cases

Media release​

14 February 2021
There are 4 new cases of COVID-19 in to report in New Zealand since our media statement yesterday.
One of these cases is in managed isolation. Three cases are community cases.
The three cases detected in the community are a mother, father and daughter from the same South Auckland household.
The mother and daughter were tested initially when they felt symptomatic. They have now returned positive tests with relatively low CT values, which indicates they are new and active infections.
Their test results came through late last night.
The father was tested following their results and his result came through late this morning.
Whole genome sequencing is being rapidly carried out so we can learn whether these infections are one of the more transmissible variants reported overseas, which we’ve also detected around other border-related cases in New Zealand recently.
Today’s three cases have one other household contact in their family unit. This person is also being tested and we await their results.
Immediately following the first two positive results, the household was placed in isolation. All four residents are moving to the Auckland quarantine facility today.

News

Find all the latest news and updates from the Ministry of Health - Manatū Hauora.

www.health.govt.nz

Apparently main suspicion is border as mother works for an airline laundry and catering company

Stuff

www.stuff.co.nz

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[lovetravellingoz]

Three more community cases

Media release​

14 February 2021
There are 4 new cases of COVID-19 in to report in New Zealand since our media statement yesterday.
One of these cases is in managed isolation. Three cases are community cases.
The three cases detected in the community are a mother, father and daughter from the same South Auckland household.
The mother and daughter were tested initially when they felt symptomatic. They have now returned positive tests with relatively low CT values, which indicates they are new and active infections.
Their test results came through late last night.
The father was tested following their results and his result came through late this morning.
Whole genome sequencing is being rapidly carried out so we can learn whether these infections are one of the more transmissible variants reported overseas, which we’ve also detected around other border-related cases in New Zealand recently.
Today’s three cases have one other household contact in their family unit. This person is also being tested and we await their results.
Immediately following the first two positive results, the household was placed in isolation. All four residents are moving to the Auckland quarantine facility today.

News

Find all the latest news and updates from the Ministry of Health - Manatū Hauora.

www.health.govt.nz

Apparently main suspicion is border as mother works for an airline laundry and catering company

Stuff

www.stuff.co.nz

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This just echoes how no matter how well you do things, that new cases will pop up from time to time.

Second ring cases though as they occur and things will soon be under control.

 

[kiwitripper64]

Auckland back into level 3 lockdown & test on NZ in level 2. Interesting media presentation, we get the feeling not all information being released just yet. Hopefully 3 days will sort us out again

 

[burmans]

Auckland back into level 3 lockdown & test on NZ in level 2. Interesting media presentation, we get the feeling not all information being released just yet. Hopefully 3 days will sort us out again

Worked last time so good luck.

 

[MelMel]

Two new cases reported in New Zealand. Students at a school attended by an earlier case.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

There are two new community cases of COVID-19 in New Zealand linked to the three community cases announced on Sunday.

The pair are siblings who both attend Papatoetoe High School in south Auckland.

One is a close contact of the existing student case.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Three new cases in NZ today. One this morning, and then two more linked cases in the afternoon.​

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Media release by NZ Ministry of Health​

23 February 2021
This morning we were notified of a new positive case in the community. This case is a student at Papatoetoe High School.
The student has not been at school. They are a casual plus contact of the initial case at the High School and had been advised to self-isolate and get tested.

Papatoetoe High was closed last week (15–19 February). Today we asked the school to reclose until further notice as a precaution and asked every student and staff member to be retested. We would like to thank the school and the wider community for their ongoing cooperation. Testing has been set up at the school from this afternoon.
Anyone from the wider school community who needs to be tested today should do so at one of the community testing centres rather than at the school.

Public health staff are interviewing the student and their family and locations of interest which are identified will be made public.
This student lives in a household bubble of six, with a sibling who also attends Papatoetoe High but has also not been at school. Other family members have been tested.

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Media release by NZ Ministry of Health​

23 February 2021
The Ministry of Health was this afternoon notified that two siblings of today’s positive case from Papatoetoe High School have also tested positive for COVID-19.

The siblings are a teenager and an infant. The parents and a third older sibling have returned negative tests. The family has been transferred to the Auckland quarantine facility.

Today’s initial case, a Papatoetoe High School student known as Case I, has not been at school. They are a casual plus contact of the initial case at Papatoetoe High School and had been advised to self-isolate and get tested.
The teenage sibling, known as Case J, recently finished school and has been working at Kmart Botany. Case J was at work on Friday 19 February and Saturday 20 February between 4pm and 10pm. Kmart Botany is regarded as a location of interest.




43mminutes ago
By Sophie Meixner

NZ local cases today increase from one to three, all in same family​

New Zealand has reported three new locally transmitted cases of coronavirus, as the cluster in its biggest city of Auckland expanded just days after authorities were forced to impose fresh restrictions.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern lifted a brief COVID-19 lockdown in Auckland last week, saying the measures had helped limit the spread of the infection to a family of three.

However, a student from Papatoetoe High School in Auckland was reported to have tested positive for COVID-19 earlier in the day. Health authorities later said that two siblings of the student were also infected with the virus, and have asked everyone linked to the school to get re-tested.

Officials have also called on people who had visited specific locations to self isolate and call local health officials for advice on testing.

Auckland's nearly 2 million residents were plunged into a snap three-day lockdown earlier this month, after a family of three — two adults and a child — were diagnosed with the more transmissible UK variant of coronavirus.

 

[jase05]

Auckland going back into 1 week lockdown

Auckland to head into week-long lockdown after new COVID-19 case detected: Ardern

New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced a seven-day lockdown of Auckland after the emergence of a “mystery” case involving a man who moved through the community for a week when he should have been isolating.

amp.theage.com.au