New Zealand records Fresh cases of COVID19

[lovetravellingoz]

From Ministry of Health NZ.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

As a result of current Covid ’wave’, NZ election delayed by 4 weeks, now to 17 October.

Watch: Election delayed until October - and won't be pushed back again

Election has been pushed back by a month.

www.nzherald.co.nz

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

So if I got the count right 58 cases in 6 days (the first 4 cases reported in the evening of 11/8).

 

[lovetravellingoz]

So if I got the count right 58 cases in 6 days (the first 4 cases reported in the evening of 11/8).

Yes as there are 78 active cases with 20 in hotel quarantine (international travellers).

 

[jb747]

Interesting that a story today (and who knows if there is any accuracy to it) has it that this may have been introduced by airline crew.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Interesting that a story today (and who knows if there is any accuracy to it) has it that this may have been introduced by airline crew.

Both ports and airlines are being checked to see if they were the route of the virus into the NZ community.


New Zealand health authorities have conducted an audit of international flights to see if coronavirus could have entered the country when pilots and flight attendants lay over in hotels.

International aircraft are allowed to fly domestically but cabin crew are largely exempt from quarantine rules if they follow Ministry of Health precautions while overseas.


................


“Somehow the virus has come across the border.”

“That could have been human-to-human or contamination of a surface to a human.

“It could be at a port, or at an airport or one of the quarantine facilities.”

Bloomfield said health authorities were working “almost daily” with Air New Zealand to rule it out as a potential route for the virus.

“There was an audit done in particular of the north American Auckland route,” Bloomfield said.

“They also did a survey of Air New Zealand staff to find out what the challenges were.

“It provided us with some clues as to how it can be strengthened.”


“Most recently we have done an audit of non-Air New Zealand staff and layover for a period in a hotel, just to check that process is robust.”

It is also possible coronavirus entered the country through Auckland’s ports.

One of the NZ COVID cases is a port worker at the Port of Tauranga.

Bloomfield says thousands of workers at the port will be tested for coronavirus as a result of the case.

“The challenge with ports is that there is an enormous number of people who come and go,” he said.

New theory over the source of New Zealand's COVID outbreak

Health experts have begun to audit a new potential source of Auckland's coronavirus outbreak.

7news.com.au

 

[lovetravellingoz]

13 more cases in New Zealand. Though one reduction in probable cases.

Ministry of Health NZ update:

 

[lovetravellingoz]

From today's news it now appears that there have been two different transmission breaches into New Zealand by Covid 19, with a new strain identified, and that this second strain has been linked to a case in hotel quarantine. The source of the first transmission breach and cluster remains unknown.


New Zealand records 13 cases as hotel quarantine worker tests positive
By James Massola

New Zealand’s coronavirus outbreak has grown by another 13 cases, with 12 of those cases linked to the Auckland outbreak that began last Tuesday and the final case likely linked to the current outbreak.

The country now has 90 active cases of coronavirus, including 69 linked to the Auckland cluster, 20 in returned travellers and one other case.

That final case, according to genomic sequencing results, is a man who worked as a maintenance workers at a Rydges Hotel managed isolation facility in Auckland and is not linked to the Auckland cluster.


In a statement, New Zealand’s Health Department said of this separate case that “the person returned a positive result for COVID-19 on Sunday 16 August with symptom onset on 11 August”.

“He was transferred to Jet Park Hotel quarantine facility on Monday 17 August. It has taken till [sic] this morning for genomic sequencing results to confirm the origin of the case.

“Genome sequencing shows a returnee from the USA with the same sequence as the maintenance worker was at the Rydges Hotel from 28 July to 31 July before they returned a Day 3 positive test and were immediately moved to the Jet Park quarantine facility on 31 July.

“At this stage there is no obvious person-to-person connection between the worker and the returnee from the USA but investigations continue.

“Initial reviews of CCTV footage and swipe card movements so far show no interaction between the two people including no entry to physical locations occupied by the returnee from the USA.”

Health Minister Chris Hipkins said at a daily briefing that at this stage, a separate possible outbreak “is contained, this is just one person” though investigate work continued.

“All close contacts so far have come back negative,” Hipkins said, playing down suggestions that a second cluster could be forming.

Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said the man was a maintenance worker who had not interacted with guests.

As the day unfolded: Victoria records 222 new COVID-19 cases as Sydney hotel quarantine guard contracts virus; Australian death toll jumps to 438

Victoria has recorded just 222 new coronavirus cases today, its lowest total in a month. In NSW, just three cases were recorded.

www.smh.com.au

 

[blackcat20]

Yikes, those case numbers shot up quickly.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

More on the second breach.


1:50pm - Megan Woods, the Minister in charge of Managed Isolation and Quarantine, says emergency procedures were activated after the case of a Rydges maintenance worker was detected.

Dr Woods says there's a genomic link between the case and a positive case from the US who stayed there until July 31. The room she was in has not been occupied since she left, and has now undergone intensive cleaning.

Air Commodore Digby Webb says this incident is different in that it's the first time a staff member connected to a facility has tested positive.

The hotel was put into immediate lockdown on Sunday, when the test was returned.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

More on the second breach.


1:50pm - Megan Woods, the Minister in charge of Managed Isolation and Quarantine, says emergency procedures were activated after the case of a Rydges maintenance worker was detected.

Dr Woods says there's a genomic link between the case and a positive case from the US who stayed there until July 31. The room she was in has not been occupied since she left, and has now undergone intensive cleaning.

Air Commodore Digby Webb says this incident is different in that it's the first time a staff member connected to a facility has tested positive.

The hotel was put into immediate lockdown on Sunday, when the test was returned.

In words from NZ Health

Genome sequencing shows a returnee from the USA with the same sequence as the maintenance worker was at the Rydges Hotel from 28 July to 31 July before they returned a Day 3 positive test and were immediately moved to the Jet Park quarantine facility on 31 July.

At this stage there is no obvious person-to-person connection between the worker and the returnee from the USA but investigations continue.

Initial reviews of CCTV footage and swipe card movements so far show no interaction between the two people including no entry to physical locations occupied by the returnee from the USA.

The room the USA returnee was in has been unoccupied since the case was transferred to the Jet Park quarantine facility and is still empty. The room underwent hospital-grade cleaning with hydrogen peroxide vapour sanitation using a BioQuell machine.

Contact tracing and testing has not connected any further cases to the maintenance worker, and to date this remains a single case.

Edit: it read similar to post 128

Yikes, those case numbers shot up quickly.

Now a total of 70....in 7 days.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Edit: it read similar to post 128

As 128 was In a statement, New Zealand’s Health Department

 

[jakeseven7]

Oh dear can't blame the freight...

-------

New Zealand authorities have ruled out a link between Auckland's growing coronavirus cluster and a Melbourne cold storage facility, as the country's infections rose by 13 more community cases on Tuesday.

'Patently wrong': Ardern fires back at Trump as mystery Auckland case found among new infections

The New Zealand Health Department ruled out the possibility the virus returned to Auckland on chilled surfaces in freight from overseas.

www.smh.com.au

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Ministry of Health update for today. 6 new cases.

 

[kiwitripper64]

We have a better game than covid numbers. Its called "Shift Responsibility". I know that other countries play this well and we are just getting started but
Winston Peters, deputy PM and NZ first leader ( currently not rating enough votes to get his party back into parliament states that there was a border breach and its all the governments fault. very similar to the other 2 opposition parties. Opposition are thinking about credibility of conspiracy theories. Greens want more tax, a lot more tax.
But the PM claims its not her fault. She told cabinet to test all border staff and they said testing would be done. It turns out that some staff were tested, but not most. Now PM didn't know that not everyone was being tested because her cabinet didn't tell her. And the minister of quarantine didn't know her instructions were not being observed. Strangely the Health minister also didn't know his instructions weren't being observed. And the director of health is saying there was a misunderstanding in communication. Then the media started asking who was being tested. It appeared that Bob and his cat managed a test last month.
Shift responsibility part 2.
The tests were not done because no one was ill.
The test were not done as the staff were reluctant to be tested. It appears most border staff wanted to be tested
The tests were done, but by GP and it was impossible to see who was untested.
The tests were not done as contact was minimal. As in driving a bus full of quarantine pax to Rotorua is minimal.
The tests were not done because it was impossible. This one fits as all port staff were ordered to be tested...in 2 days.....when there was no testing centre or nurses in Tauranga port.
Testing is readily available. If you are prepared to queue and wait. Wait times now are a few hours at the testing centres, but they were up to 11 hours. A reasonable analysis would not call that reasonable. No facilities for water, toilets or seating for those people not in cars.
People will not be disadvantaged if they have a covid test. Except you cant go back to work until the results come back and they can take 12hours to 5 days for results. The government have now realised that people will not come in for testing if they have used all their sick leave and have to sit at home unpaid. there is now govt backed extension of sick leave.
NZ has been fairly compliant with requests to help stop covid and keep it at bay. But there is a feeling that no one is learning lessons and politics is creeping in.
We are still hopeful.
Kind, polite and sensible, and with lockdown the sheep are having a few nights off

 

[p--and--t]

The conspiracy theory I heard this morning was that one if the family members snuck into a quarantine hotel to visit her boyfriend who was recently deported from Australia

That is a real juicy one. Rather like the AFL player who had an unauthorised visit from his girlfriend in the Perth Hub and who has now been banned for the season.

Hmm seems primal urges repeatedly overrule making sensible decisions over and over (Vic, WA, NZ, QLD .......)

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

We have a better game than covid numbers. Its called "Shift Responsibility". I know that other countries play this well and we are just getting started but
Winston Peters, deputy PM and NZ first leader ( currently not rating enough votes to get his party back into parliament states that there was a border breach and its all the governments fault. very similar to the other 2 opposition parties. Opposition are thinking about credibility of conspiracy theories. Greens want more tax, a lot more tax.
But the PM claims its not her fault. She told cabinet to test all border staff and they said testing would be done. It turns out that some staff were tested, but not most. Now PM didn't know that not everyone was being tested because her cabinet didn't tell her. And the minister of quarantine didn't know her instructions were not being observed. Strangely the Health minister also didn't know his instructions weren't being observed. And the director of health is saying there was a misunderstanding in communication. Then the media started asking who was being tested. It appeared that Bob and his cat managed a test last month.
Shift responsibility part 2.
The tests were not done because no one was ill.
The test were not done as the staff were reluctant to be tested. It appears most border staff wanted to be tested
The tests were done, but by GP and it was impossible to see who was untested.
The tests were not done as contact was minimal. As in driving a bus full of quarantine pax to Rotorua is minimal.
The tests were not done because it was impossible. This one fits as all port staff were ordered to be tested...in 2 days.....when there was no testing centre or nurses in Tauranga port.
Testing is readily available. If you are prepared to queue and wait. Wait times now are a few hours at the testing centres, but they were up to 11 hours. A reasonable analysis would not call that reasonable. No facilities for water, toilets or seating for those people not in cars.
People will not be disadvantaged if they have a covid test. Except you cant go back to work until the results come back and they can take 12hours to 5 days for results. The government have now realised that people will not come in for testing if they have used all their sick leave and have to sit at home unpaid. there is now govt backed extension of sick leave.
NZ has been fairly compliant with requests to help stop covid and keep it at bay. But there is a feeling that no one is learning lessons and politics is creeping in.
We are still hopeful.
Kind, polite and sensible, and with lockdown the sheep are having a few nights off

Sounds that they still have some things to learn even from poor Aussie jurisdictions.

Is there much casualisation of the workforce as per workers in security and aged care? Rhetorical question. One for NZ government to get on top of.

Post automatically merged: Aug 19, 2020

Hmm seems primal urges repeatedly overrule making sensible decisions over and over (Vic, WA, NZ, QLD .......)

Get back over the ditch ....wrong forum perhaps.....lol

 

[RooFlyer]

Oh dear can't blame the freight...

Yep. But fortunately, the NZ authorities didn't just take the company's word for it. With something this important, and with so much at stake, they did their own thorough investigations not only to satisfy themselves, but also the public. Good stuff.

But the PM claims its not her fault. She told cabinet to test all border staff and they said testing would be done. It turns out that some staff were tested, but not most. Now PM didn't know that not everyone was being tested because her cabinet didn't tell her. And the minister of quarantine didn't know her instructions were not being observed. Strangely the Health minister also didn't know his instructions weren't being observed. And the director of health is saying there was a misunderstanding in communication. Then the media started asking who was being tested. It appeared that Bob and his cat managed a test last month.

But, but, but ... St Jacinta is loved, is trusted, is ... "us". Has she been in touch with Danial Andrews?

 

[33kft]

I would dare say NZ tracing this back to Melbourne has as much utility from a cause perspective as us tracing it back to Wuhan. It's not up for debate whether Melbourne has active cases at the moment, but if adjacent states have few infections and you, 4000km away separated by water and with a closed border have many, then perhaps the issue is more local.

Does anyone recall where Melbourne traced the infections to have come from? Oh that's right - from badly administered hotel quarantine, in Melbourne. Where they came from before that is academic at best. Seems in line with the general air of arrogance from the NZ govt that it would have been found to have originated from Melbourne before it was indeed found to have originated from anywhere.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Yep. But fortunately, the NZ authorities didn't just take the company's word for it. With something this important, and with so much at stake, they did their own thorough investigations not only to satisfy themselves, but also the public. Good stuff.

Good to see that you are at last catching up on the discussion started on Saturday.

While I note in today's news that NZ is checking the genomes of the two Americold CV19 Case in Melbourne against their current cases that two day ago that it was reported (and my bolding):


Richard Winnall, Americold's Australia and New Zealand managing director, said the company's positive cases worked alongside a man in his 50s who had already tested positive to the virus.

He also told the ABC there had been two positive cases of COVID-19 at Americold's Melbourne plant in Laverton North in recent weeks.

However, he was adamant there could be no link between cases at the two facilities, as the Melbourne warehouse does not ship freight to the company's Auckland plant.

He said the Auckland facilities received imported goods from 15 countries, including Australia, China and the United States.

13 locally acquired cases and one traveller behind New Zealand's new COVID-19 cases

Workers at two Auckland warehouses and a finance business test positive to COVID-19, taking New Zealand's total number of active cases to 36.

www.abc.net.au

So the cross checking is most likely just to rule it out as a possibility (at least from the Melbourne Americold Facility). The only much less plausible path would be Melbourne, to elsewhere in Oz and then onto NZ (and that most likely does not happen). The various experts, including the NZ Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield, also all seem to believe that CV19 transmission caught by this means is extremely unlikely.