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A second group of fishermen expected to stay in a Christchurch managed isolation facility will have their trip delayed by at least a week while the first group is retested.
Chief Health Officer Dr. Ashley Bloomfield announced Tuesday that 29 Russian and Ukrainian fishermen in controlled isolation at Christchurch’s Sudima Hotel had tested positive for Covid-19, three fewer than initially reported.
He said 18 fishermen tested positive after tests on day three, eight during tests on day six and three after tests on day nine, which included testing of all close contacts.
All fishermen would be retested on Wednesday as part of the test protocols on the 12th and results are expected on Thursday.
Joseph Johnson / Stuff
There are 235 isolated foreign fishermen at the Sudima Hotel in Christchurch.
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All would remain in Sudima for at least three more days because some fishermen had tested positive on the third day, “resetting the clock” in their two-week isolation period, Bloomfield said.
Hotel Sudima is being used exclusively by Russian and Ukrainian fishermen, who arrived on a charter flight paid for by three large fishing companies.
There are 235 foreign fishermen at the Sudima Hotel. The first cases at the facility were confirmed on October 20, when the facility was closed.
The fishermen had to test negative before boarding their flight to New Zealand. Two were unable to travel due to positive tests.
STACY SQUIRES / Stuff
A member of the Defense Force patrols in front of the Sudima Hotel near Christchurch Airport.
A second flight with more fishermen was due to depart on November 2. They were also expected to be in isolation at the Sudima Hotel, but their trip will most likely be delayed at least a week while the previous group’s 12th day test results are confirmed, Bloomfield said. .
He said health officials would review what steps they would take with the second group of fishermen once the 12th day results were available to the first group.
There were no new community cases of coronavirus to report in New Zealand on Tuesday. The total number of active cases is 68.
New Zealand health officials currently view Russia as a high-risk place.
The Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center reports that there have been more than 1.4 million cases of Covid-19 in Russia and more than 24,000 deaths.
On October 19 alone there were 15,843 new cases.
