Covid 19 coronavirus: two new cases: one in managed isolation, one historical

There are two new cases of Covid-19 today: one in managed isolation and a historical one detected during contact tracing.

None of the new cases are in the community.

The imported case is a man in his 30s who came to New Zealand from Russia via the United Arab Emirates and tested positive on his third day in isolation.

The historical case was a passenger on a charter plane from Christchurch to Auckland. Three other people on that flight have already tested positive.

The person had returned negative tests on day 3 and 12 of his administered isolation, the ministry said.

“From additional tests and serological analysis, we have determined that there is no link to the group of returnees from Christchurch,” the Health Ministry said in a statement.

“Any infection would have occurred abroad before the person returned to New Zealand earlier this month and is no longer infectious.”

“As we’ve said about historical cases previously, we know that some people can return a positive PCR test long after they have recovered from the disease and are no longer infectious.”

All 86 passengers on the flight have already been screened, except for one, a small child. All have been negative except the three previously reported cases and the case confirmed today.

That testing regimen began after a man in his 40s flew home to Auckland on a chartered flight. He had returned to New Zealand from India on September 11 and spent 14 days in controlled isolation in Christchurch.

He then tested positive and is believed to have contracted Covid-19 after a rare 21-day incubation period.

Two people traveling on the same chartered flight from Christchurch also tested positive, along with a family contact. The three infected people went to Taupō (before discovering they were infected) and met with a group of 18 others last weekend.

Bloomfield said that was “not ideal” because the maximum meeting size for Auckland residents was still 10 at the time. But families had used the contact-tracking app with care, which had made it easy for public health officials to track their movements.

Meanwhile, the ministry said there were 32 people isolated from the community at the Auckland quarantine facility today, including 15 people who tested positive and their household contacts.

Now there are two people in the hospital with Covid-19, one less than yesterday. Both patients are isolated in a general ward.

It is the first weekend since Auckland went to alert level 2 and the rest of the country to level 1.

Auckland residents who leave the city during school holidays have been urged to take the alert level restrictions with them.

The exodus of Auckland residents comes as scientists say the newest Covid cluster has the potential to be very serious.

Having emerged from a rare case of Covid that arose after the person left controlled isolation, it could also force officials to reconsider how long people are kept in isolation, one expert said.

Bloomfield said yesterday that the inhabitants of Aucklanders should behave as if they are at alert level 2 even if they are outside the city.

“Even as we get closer to school holidays … a reminder to Auckland locals – it’s great that they’re traveling across the country and it’s good that we’re in a position where they can, just to be aware,” he said. to RNZ.

Yesterday two new cases of Covid were confirmed, one of a traveler from abroad and the other from the community, a young woman who was already isolated.