Covid 19 coronavirus: Border workers to be tested regularly or face a $ 1000 fine

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When midnight rolled around last night, a new law was passed: all frontline workers at the borders will have to undergo regular tests for Covid-19.

And anyone who rejects the test without good reason can now face a hefty fine of up to $ 1000.

The Health Ministry announced that the Government approved a new Public Health Response order that will mean that starting this week, those who are on the border front line will be evaluated once a week or once a fortnight.

The thousands of people include those who work in quarantine facilities, those who transport arrivals overseas to and from those facilities.

Bus drivers taking overseas arrivals to and from managed seclusion hotels, as well as those working in those facilities, will be required to be tested once every two weeks.

Others will be screened regularly from now on, including people facing the border who work in immigration, customs, primary industries, and aviation security officials and district health board staff.

Airport workers who handle international baggage carts, airport cleaners and airline workers who interact with passengers will also be screened once every fortnight.

Dockworkers will also need to be tested once every fortnight, including pilots and dockworkers working on or around ships, and people transporting others to or from ships.

Even people who work in retail and food and beverage establishments at the airport will need to be tested for Covid-19 regularly.

Airline workers who do not interact with international arrivals will not have to undergo testing.

The new law comes after a few harrowing days for the country; particularly with the announcement of two Covid-related deaths.

Auckland cluster’s first deaths

On Friday, news broke of the tragic death of Alan Te Hiko, the father of four, at Middlemore Hospital.

Te Hiko, in her 50s, worked at the Americold Refrigerator in Mt Wellington, where several staff members and subsequently their relatives were first affected by the virus early last month.

He also became the youngest person to die from the virus in New Zealand.

A day later, authorities announced the death of Pasifika’s highly respected physician and health leader, Dr. Joe Williams.

The 82-year-old had battled the virus for weeks after being identified as the first person to be hospitalized with Covid-19 in the Auckland group earlier last month.

It is not yet known how Dr. Williams contracted the disease. However, his general practice is not far from the Americold Refrigeration Store in Mt Wellington.

The total number of active cases is 116. Of these, 39 are imported cases at MIQ facilities and 77 are community cases.

Auckland is at alert level 2.5, while the rest of the country is at level 2 as of 11:59 pm on September 16, despite all current cases being in Auckland or linked to the 155-person group from Auckland.

Part of the government’s justification for keeping the rest of the country at level 2 is to provide some protections (physical distancing and a limit of 100 people in meetings) while people can travel in and out of Auckland.