Covid 19 coronavirus: negative result for one of the three close contacts of Port Taranaki

One of the three Port Taranaki workers linked to New Zealand’s latest Covid-19 community case tested negative.

The other two staff members were awaiting their results, said Port Taranaki CEO Guy Roper.

“Those staff members are isolating themselves at home as a precautionary measure and the results of the Taranaki District Board of Health are expected tomorrow.”

It was revealed yesterday that a dockworker in his 20s from West Auckland tested positive for the virus on Saturday 16 October.

It was the first community case since September 24.

The man traveled to New Plymouth by car to go to work on Tuesday, Oct. 13, before developing symptoms and getting tested.

Today, Port Taranaki CEO Guy Roper said that through contact tracing, three staff members had been identified who possibly had contact with the person.

The visiting contractor, who tested positive, was working on a ship in Port Taranaki last Wednesday and had “very limited contact with port staff and workers.”

Roper said Port Taranaki’s Covid-19 procedures had worked well and that the port continued to work closely with the Ministry of Health and the Taranaki District Health Board (TDHB).

Today a TDHB pop-up clinic is being established in Port Taranaki for port worker testing in addition to the regular weekly clinic on Wednesdays.

“We are satisfied that the only staff members who potentially had contact with the case while he was in port have already been assessed. However, we are encouraging any staff member or port user who would like to get tested for Covid- 19 to attend the pop-up clinic today. “

Roper said that during the Covid-19 pandemic, Port Taranaki staff had followed the Ministry of Health guidelines.

“Our staff have and continue to maintain high standards of hygiene and wear PPE where and when appropriate. As an additional precaution, we have also asked staff to limit on-site meetings and reduce face-to-face contact with other port users. “.

Roper said there was a cautious frame of mind among the Port Taranaki staff, but that they continued to go about their business while following health and hygiene guidelines.

Trip to New Plymouth

The man drove to New Plymouth alone on Tuesday, October 13, and checked into a motel. He then worked on the ship on Wednesday, checked into a different accommodation, but then decided to return to Auckland on Wednesday night.

The rooms you stayed in have been thoroughly cleaned.

The man wore masks and gloves while working and was examined within hours of developing symptoms Thursday.

There was a very good explanation for where the likely source of infection is, says Bloomfield.

“This is very likely a border-related case … so far there is no evidence of any community transmission.”

The Health Ministry will release the names and details of the places and areas where the man had been, and is sending notifications through the Covid tracking app.

Four of your household contacts are isolated. Household contacts have been tested.

He was not in Auckland ports while he was infected.

Close contacts from his work there are being analyzed, mostly people on the ship he worked on.

The only people he interacted with at the port were security and the people on the ship, Bloomfield said.

The man had previously tested negative on October 2, Bloomfield said.

No new cases were reported today

Today no new cases of the virus were announced.

In today’s media standoff, Health Director General Ashley Bloomfield said a Brisbane-bound ship was the most likely source of infection for the infected dock worker.

A ship was also being examined off the coast of Napier with 21 crew on board, Bloomfield said.

The marine electronics engineer had worked on both ships.

Genomic sequencing showed that the Covid-19 strain had not previously been seen in New Zealand and was not related to the recent August outbreak, he said.

Bloomfield said there were 29 close contacts of the man, including 21 on the ship off Napier, four domestic contacts, three dock workers and one worker at the workplace.

Test results for one workplace contact and two of the four household contacts came back negative, Bloomfield said.

Two other household contacts awaited the test results.