Covid 19 coronavirus: Family tenant in Auckland cluster is not quarantined

A tenant in the same home as one of the families at the center of Auckland’s latest Covid-19 cluster isolates himself at home rather than in a quarantine facility, the Health Ministry revealed.

The Auckland Ministry and Regional Public Health Service (ARPHS) meet the man, who is a close contact of a case in one of the homes.

They isolate themselves with daily handling and have been tested, a ministry spokesperson told the Herald.

“The person has been self-isolating from the moment they could have developed the disease, has tested negative and will be tested a second time in the next few days.”

The rest of the family have been transferred to the Auckland quarantine facility at the Jet Park Hotel.

It is not mandatory for the man to be transferred to the Jet Park facility, the ministry said, but ARPHS discussed the option with all close contacts.

“Public health officials are comfortable with the situation and the way risks are managed,” the Ministry told the Herald.

When asked why the tenant was not in quarantine, the Ministry said: “It is important that we respect people’s privacy and we have nothing more to add.”

ARPHS has been contacted for comment.

The Valentine’s group has spread to four families in South Auckland, with 15 positive cases.

It started with a freshman from Papatoetoe High School who started showing symptoms and spread further when two mothers from different households went for a walk during Auckland’s three-day shutdown in February. The cluster source is still unknown.

There have been no new cases in four days, but Auckland remains at alert level 3 and the rest of the country at alert level 2.