Covid-19: 11 new cases of coronavirus in controlled isolation

There are 11 new cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand today, the Ministry of Health announced.

All are managed in isolation. There are no new cases in the community.

Five of the cases are from isolated international fishing crews in Christchurch. They tested positive on the sixth day of their stay.

They are among the hundreds of fishermen from Russia and Ukraine who arrive on flights chartered by fishing companies.

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The other cases detected in managed isolation include two in a family group that arrived from Amsterdam, via Singapore.

Two other cases are newcomers from the UK and one came from the United Arab Emirates.

All of those people tested positive around the third day of their stay. They are now in quarantine.

New Zealand’s total number of active cases is now 74 and its total number of confirmed cases is 1,578.

On Friday, labs completed 7,700 tests for Covid-19, bringing the total number of tests completed to 1,061,747.

Auckland Community Group

The new cases come amid a new community group in Auckland. A dock worker, two of his work contacts and one of his domestic contacts, who works at the Westpac NZ head office, have tested positive for the virus and are in isolation.

Up to 120 gym-goers can be considered casual contacts of one of the cases after entering the gym on the same day.

The infected man visited Snap Fitness Browns Bay while infected on Saturday, October 17.

Brendan Hurrell, general manager of Snap Fitness Auckland, said they may have to isolate themselves until their test results are negative.

Ten other people who attended the I Am Hope boot camp at the Browns Bay Beach Gym were considered close contacts and had to remain in self-isolation for 14 days, regardless of the outcome.

Earlier, Stuff revealed that one of the positive cases runs at a bed and breakfast in Coatesville, but guests there, who crossed paths with the man after he was exposed to the virus, were not notified by health authorities.

But the Health Ministry defended its decision not to inform guests of their host’s diagnosis or ask them to be tested, saying they are not considered close contacts.

Meanwhile, the Westpac NZ spokesperson said the employee who tested positive is in a “non-customer-facing” role.

They had been self-isolating since last Friday and were not thought to be infectious while working.

Long weekend tests

There has been a “constant” demand for Covid-19 testing in Auckland so far this Labor weekend, the ministry said.

“A community testing center in Henderson started swabbing early as there were people waiting for it to open.”

Seven community testing centers are open: Northcote Community Testing Center, Northcare Accident and Medical, Whānau House in Henderson, Western Springs Community Testing Center, Whānau Ora Community Clinic in Wiri, Ōtara Community Testing Center and the North Harbor Stadium parking lot in Albany.

The tests are also available in Auckland at urgent care clinics and general offices.

There was only one car at the Northcote test center around 2pm.

“[We were] busy first thing this morning, but pretty stable since then, ”said a nurse.

“Long weekend, nice weather, no wonder.”