Covid 19 coronavirus: three cases in managed isolation

There are three new cases of Covid-19 in controlled isolation and a suspected case of the virus on a ship that docked in Tauranga.

Of the three new cases, two are active cases and one is historical.

Of the two active cases:

• One person arrived on December 7th. The country of origin is not yet available. They tested positive upon arrival and were transferred to the Auckland quarantine facility.

• One person arrived on December 3 from the United Kingdom via the United Arab Emirates. They tested positive on routine tests around the third day. They have been transferred to the Auckland quarantine facility.

The landmark case arrived in New Zealand on December 2 from the UK via Singapore. This person tested positive on routine tests around the third day. Further investigation indicated that this is a landmark case, now recovered. This person is in a Christchurch quarantine facility.

Two previously reported cases have now also been recovered, bringing the total number of active New Zealand cases to 55.

Suspect of the Covid case by boat

An alleged historical case of Covid-19 was detected in a member of the CTG Cobalt crew, which had docked in the port of Tauranga from Japan and is now en route to Timaru, the Health Ministry said.

“No crew member has ever made landfall so there is a very low risk of transmission to the New Zealand community. The crew member tested weak positive for Covid-19, with a high CT value, indicating an old infection.

“It seems more likely that this crew member had Covid-19 some time ago. They have no symptoms, are recovered, and are no longer infectious.”

All the other members of the crew have tested negative and have been on board the ship for the entire voyage, effectively in isolation for 17 days.

“Until the current investigation by public health personnel is complete, no member of the crew will be allowed to leave the ship. This case is not yet reported in our official figures while it remains under investigation. Health and port personnel who have had minimal contact with the crew, all have been informed and no further action is considered necessary at this stage, “the ministry said.

No new cases have been reported in the community since November 21, when the last case linked to the Auckland Defense Forces group was reported. That person now has a negative result and there are now no active cases listed in the community.

As of Tuesday there were still 54 cases listed as “active” in managed isolation – 49 listed as Covid capture “at the border” and five “under investigation” or otherwise.