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The Auckland Covid-19 community case announced today is that of a person living next to a managed seclusion hotel.
The Grand Millennium Hotel, which is being used as a managed isolation facility, in Auckland CBD.
Photo: RNZ / Dan Cook
Health officials have now completed a detailed interview with the woman, who is a student in her 20s.
She lives alone in Vincent Residences, an apartment block in the CBD that is next to the Grand Millennium Hotel.
The hotel, which is a managed isolation facility, had a fire alarm evacuation Monday night, but that evacuation is not the source of the infection because the woman already had symptoms earlier that day.
A spokesperson for Managed Isolation and Quarantine previously said that guests were evacuated using strict infection control protocols that include PPE, masks and physical distance.
Anyone who has visited Vincent Residences as a visitor or resident, since Saturday, should be tested for Covid and self-isolate until results are returned.
Public Health Director Dr. Caroline McElnay said all common areas of the apartment building will be closed and there will be a mobile testing station for residents tonight.
“Health authorities are working closely with the corporate body and a cleaning company is going to do a deep cleaning of the common areas of the apartment building today, including the stairs, elevators and lobby,” said Dr. McElnay .
She said the woman works at AZ Collection as a store assistant in a customer service role.
“This person became symptomatic on November 9, was tested on November 10, asked to isolate himself, and then went to work on November 11.
“Now we know that this case called in sick to work after receiving the advice to isolate, but after a conversation with his manager he went to work and put on a mask.”
AZ Collection closed today and underwent a deep cleaning, he said.
Three close contacts of the woman have been identified. They are being tracked, isolated and tested, Dr. McElnay said.
These contacts include a colleague and two friends and all report that they are fine, however the two friends are being transferred to the Auckland quarantine facility as a precaution, he said. One of the friends lives alone at Vincent Residences, the same place as the woman, he said.
Te Pūnaha Matatini director Professor Shaun Hendy said the Auckland case was similar to the August group where the source was unknown.
“Anyone in Auckland, particularly anyone who has been to the Auckland CBD in the last two weeks, should seek a test if they have any of the symptoms associated with Covid-19. Anyone who has visited AZ Collections this week should isolate themselves and search a test, “Hendy said.
He said contact tracing and / or genomics could help identify a link, but if that can’t be established, Auckland could be looking to raise alert levels.
“Our testing rates and application usage are higher than in early August, so I think we are probably in a better position now than we were then.”
University of Auckland professor Siouxsie Wiles said the pandemic was “growing exponentially overseas, so we will probably see more and more people arriving in New Zealand incubating the virus.”
“Quickly identifying any community cases means that we should be able to stop any outbreak through testing, contact tracing and isolation rather than having to raise alert levels.”
