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New Zealand will remain at alert level one, but the mandatory use of masks on public transport in Auckland and on flights may return next week after a new community case was confirmed on Thursday.
Auckland, which was partially closed on Friday with some 100,000 people asked to work from home, has reopened and weekend events may continue, although Covid Response Minister Chris Hipkins has urged people to be cautious.
The warning follows the new case, a student living in central Auckland, who is genomically linked to a defense worker who was infected in a quarantine hotel earlier this month. On Thursday the student’s case was described as having an unknown source, but Friday’s genomic link made the spread of the virus undetected “less likely.”
The advocacy group started with an advocacy worker who passed Covid-19 to a colleague at a business meeting. Hipkins questioned why these meetings were not being held virtually, and the defense announced on Friday that they would do so from now on.
While the risk level to raise the alert level did not yet exist, Hipkins said he would bring an order to cabinet on Monday to make wearing masks on public transport in Auckland mandatory, including all flights in and out of the city.
The student, who is 20 years old, is the fourth case linked to the defense group. Work continues to try to determine where and how the student contracted the virus.
His three close contacts have been transferred to a quarantine center and tested negative. Those who visited places where the student was contagious were asked to take the test.
She reported feeling symptoms on Monday and was tested on Tuesday. But on Wednesday she went to work wearing a mask, in a customer-facing booth at AZ Collections clothing store. His test came back positive Thursday.
While contagious, she took multiple Uber rides and visited four central Auckland restaurants and cafes for takeout and grocery shopping, as well as one of New Zealand’s leading department stores, Smith & Caughey’s. He also briefly visited a city college campus and medical rooms.
The woman lives in a 170-unit apartment complex, with a shared pool and gym, in the center of town. Residents have been asked to isolate themselves, but some have reportedly been seen leaving with travel bags. In response, public health protection workers were deployed to secure the building on Friday.
In August, Auckland entered a second three-week lockdown after a group of more than 100 infected people developed in the south of the city. Auckland is the largest city in New Zealand and home to 1.7 million people. Fewer than 2,000 people have been infected with Covid-19 in New Zealand, while 25 have died.
The results of the government’s takedown strategy and hard-line border policies have been praised around the world and the freedom New Zealanders enjoy is envied. Sports games, concerts and eating and drinking outside are possible, and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has resisted lobbying by Australia and some Pacific nations to open borders.
