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Scott Hammond / Stuff
A “probable” case of coronavirus was reclassified as confirmed on Friday.
A Marlborough coronavirus case previously considered ‘probable’ was reclassified as confirmed on Friday.
But there were no new cases in the top of the south announced on Friday a day after a confirmed case in Nelson became the first in the Nelson Marlborough District Health board area in nearly three weeks.
At the daily briefing on Friday, Director of Public Health Caroline McElnay announced three new cases across the country, bringing the total to 1479.
There were no further deaths, with six people in hospital, none of which were in intensive care.
READ MORE:
* ‘Tenuous’ link from Cook Islands to Nelson coronavirus case
* Coronavirus: First new case in Nelson for three weeks
* Coronavirus: Three active cases in Nelson Marlborough
The Nelson Marlborough total was brought to 49 on Thursday (37 confirmed and 12 probable). In Marlborough there are 14 confirmed and seven probable; in Nelson 23 confirmed and five probable.
A total of 45 of Nelson Marlborough cases were reported as recovered, leaving four active cases remaining.
Testing had ramped up at the community based assessment centers (CBACs) in Nelson and Blenheim, but hours were set to reduce on Saturday May 2.
In addition to the CBACs in Nelson, Blenheim and Motueka, temporary drive-through testing stations have been established for rural patients with symptoms.
Scott Hammond / Stuff
Temporary drive-through testing stations visited rural communities such as Kekerengu.
Earlier in the week, the drive-through stations visited Havelock, Canvastown, Rai Valley, Seddon, Ward and Kekerengu.
Since testing began on March 24, the Nelson CBAC had assessed 1677 people and swabbed 1192 for Covid-19. In the same time period, 814 people presented to the Blenheim CBAC, and 548 were tested.
On Thursday a New World Stoke employee, a woman in her 30s, was one of three new cases announced in New Zealand. It was the first case across the top of the south since April 9.
The new case was suspected to be travel related, and the woman had returned home from the Cook Islands on March 26.
However NMH Clinical Director of Public Health Dr Stephen Bridgman said the infection may not have occured in the country of origin, and could be due to contact with an infected passenger on a flight or in transit.
In a report from Cook Islands News, Cook Islands Secretary of Health Dr Josephine Aumea Herman said based on current information it was unlikely the case originated in Rarotonga, as the Cook Islands had been declared coronavirus-free.
Martin De Ruyter / The-Nelson-Mail
On Thursday a woman in her 30s in Nelson became the first case in Nelson Marlborough since April 9.
The case was still being investigated with close contacts and household contacts of the woman in isolation and being monitored for symptoms.
The woman, who is a New World Stoke employee, was said to not be in a customer-facing role at her job, and worked in the store on three separate occasions before going into isolation, mostly outside of store opening hours.
New World Stoke had undertaken a deep clean of the store.
