Covid 19 coronavirus: Head of Health Ashley Bloomfield provides live update while urging pub patrons to get tested

There are two new cases of Covid-19 in managed isolation today.

There are also two new cases in Australia on a ship believed to be the likely source of infection for an infected New Zealand dock worker.

Chief Health Officer Dr. Ashley Bloomfield said he liked to think of us as “level 1 plus” with a greater emphasis on wearing masks and the Covid Tracer app, which would avoid the need for level 2.

There are 58 active cases, bringing our total number of cases to 1,558.

Customers who visited a North Shore pub are urged to isolate themselves and get tested. A man who later tested positive for the virus visited The Malt in Greenhithe on Friday night between 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. before falling ill.

He and a dock co-worker were infected by a 27-year-old marine engineer who is believed to have contracted the disease on a visiting ship, the Sofrana Surville.

While Bloomfield was giving the 1:00 p.m. press conference today, it emerged that two crew members had tested positive for Covid-19 on the ship.

The ship has been docked on the Sunshine Coast since Thursday.

Alert levels on the move

The government was interested in knowing if there was any indication if a change in alert levels was necessary, but the Ministry of Health was not recommending it at this time.

If everyone followed the advice, an alert-level move could be prevented, Bloomfield said. It would also bode well for the Christmas and New Years holidays.

Bloomfield said it was important for Kiwis this weekend to keep using the Covid Tracer app because they may not remember all the places they went during Labor Weekend. Now it’s down to 500,000 scans.

“I feel like we could do much better and we are interested in doing better.”

The Ministry is looking at options to require people to use the app, but Bloomfield said that when the outbreak occurred in Auckland, people were very receptive to using it.

Bloomfield said he believes they have been very clear in their messages and it was one of the strengths of their response.

Hospitality venues in particular must be diligent, Bloomfield said.

Also, it was important to keep washing your hands, to have good coughing and sneezing etiquette.

The advice to Auckland residents is the same for all New Zealanders and was to take every precaution, Bloomfield said.

“If you’re not feeling well, don’t go on vacation and get tested.”

The most important advice for meetings was not to go if you are unwell.

He encouraged people to keep wearing masks on public transportation, and people shouldn’t be ashamed to wear one, he still wears his.

“Dust them off and when you travel for the next few days, wear your masks.”

And it reminded the kiwis to stay home if they were sick.

Two new cases

There are two new cases today in managed isolation.

The first arrived on October 19 from the Netherlands via Dubai.

The second case came from Doha on October 22. They developed symptoms during the flight and were examined upon arrival.

Foreign sailors

The number of Russian and Ukrainian fishermen cases with Covid-19 at the Sudima Christchurch Airport Hotel remains at 18 and the entire crew is being tested again today.

The decision on whether to delay the fisherman’s next flight rests with MPI and one of the considerations is whether the current group should stay longer and will likely need to stay another three days.

Bloomfield said that even where the tests are rigorous abroad, and it appears the tests in Moscow were, it does not detect people who could be incubating the virus.

In addition to the usual quarantine measures, all staff working with guests at the Sudima Christchurch Airport hotel will be tested more regularly.

The crew will continue in double bunks until the end of their quarantine arrangements.

School Contact

It also emerged today that a student at New Zealand’s largest school, Rangitoto College, is in isolation after a person in his home tested positive for Covid-19.

The risk to the university community is low as the student tested negative and was in school only briefly, Bloomfield said.

He urged anyone contacted by the contact trackers to act quickly and continue to monitor their health for the next several weeks for any symptoms.

Anyone who is considered a close contact must self-isolate for the full 14 days.

“This virus does not take breaks.”

The Auckland Regional Public Health Service has written to the parents of the university.

“However, this student is not considered a close contact as he has had minimal exposure to the person while this person was contagious. The student is fine and has had a negative test result. He has only been in school for a very short time since your household member got sick. “

A café next to The Malt, Baked, has reverted to level 3 protocol with staff wearing masks. A table at the front door, where people can place orders, prevents people from entering and coming into contact with staff.

Schools in the area have also sent messages to parents on social media. Hobsonville Point Elementary School asked parents to contact if they had been to the pub.

Historic Dunedin Case

A case was being investigated on a ship off Port Chalmers.

The person had a weak positive test result, but it was a previously reported landmark case in India in August.

“The person is not considered infectious, so there is no risk,” Bloomfield said.

Pub visit

Bloomfield repeated the call for The Malt’s clients and their household contacts to isolate themselves and get tested and then remain isolated until they get the result.

He called it an “exposure event” and the people there could have been in the same place as a person who tested positive; it was a reminder why the app was important.

“Time is our friend in this case and potentially our enemy, so we would like to keep it on our side.”

The Ministry has implemented a process to report the results more quickly so that people do not wait for their results over the long weekend.

The Ministry had not yet verified if anyone from The Malt went to the All Blacks game, but it was low risk due to the time frame, he said.

There are two new tests emerging on the North Shore, including one at Wainoni Park in Greenhithe. There are currently six community testing centers open.

Three centers are expected to be open this weekend, and final details have yet to be confirmed by health officials.

People can also get tested at urgent care clinics.

People should call Healthline to find the testing site closest to them.

The pub-goer likely got infected Friday when he shared a room with the colleague, then went to The Malt that night.

He was tested Sunday morning and tested negative, but developed symptoms on Tuesday and then tested positive.

Microbiologist Siouxsie Wiles has raised concerns about how the infected dock worker transmitted the virus to colleagues in just three minutes of contact.

Everyone in the pub at the time is urged to isolate themselves and get tested as soon as possible.

Customers and bar staff should also keep an eye out for Covid-19 symptoms, such as a new or worsening cough, sore throat, runny nose, loss of sense or smell, or fever.

Last night there was a landslide at the test sites and some people had to wait three hours at the Shorecare Medical Center.

“Most of the people in the pub at this time are considered casual contacts, but they are asked to get tested as soon as possible. They should stay home in isolation until they receive a negative result,” said the Public Health Service. Auckland Regional. He said.

“However, if people in the pub that night get sick, even after a negative test result, they should isolate themselves again and get tested again.”

Household members of patrons at the pub that night only need to be tested and stay home if the person in the pub becomes ill or develops any symptoms, or unless directed by Public Health, ARPHS said.