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The Covid-19 mutant strain that sent much of England into a “level 4” lockdown earlier this month has arrived in New Zealand.
There have been 19 new cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand since the New Year. Of the new cases announced Sunday, one was historic and the rest were in managed isolation.
However, six cases of the mutant UK strain have also been found in New Zealand, the Health Ministry confirmed.
ALDEN WILLIAMS / Stuff
New Zealanders are urged to remember to scan stores and businesses during the summer. (File photo)
The six cases, five of which traveled from the UK and one that traveled from South Africa, arrived in New Zealand between December 13 and 25.
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Four of these cases have recovered and, after a final health check, they were able to leave the facilities.
The mutant strain is believed to be 70% more transmissible than existing strains.
Experts in the UK have said that there is no evidence that the new strain is more deadly, nor that it will be more difficult to vaccinate against it.
Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins and Chief Health Officer Dr. Ashley Bloomfield addressed the media on Sunday.
Covid-19 numbers are normally released through a press release, however the press conference was announced on Sunday when the government introduced new rules for inbound travelers.
Travelers heading to New Zealand from the United Kingdom or the United States would need a negative test result for Covid-19 before entering the country.
The new rules would go into effect on January 15.
Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said that work was already underway to extend the requirement to other long-haul flights to New Zealand.
“We intend the test to also have the added benefit of encouraging extremely cautious behavior before people fly and during flights and stopovers that will minimize exposure to the virus.”
Many countries have introduced stricter restrictions on travelers from the UK after an increase in people in the UK testing positive for a variant of the Sars-CoV-2 virus.
Ahead of the press conference, University of Otago epidemiologist Professor Michael Baker said he was unaware that the new variant had been detected here but, given the number of arrivals from the UK, it was not surprising.
ROSA WOODS / Things
University of Otago public health professor Michael Baker said New Zealand needed more rigorous controls before people could enter.
Baker said the new strain is another reason for New Zealand to introduce more stringent controls before people enter the country.
He said he was relieved that travelers from the United Kingdom and the United States needed a negative Covid-19 test before leaving for New Zealand, but said that stricter measures should be introduced for everyone arriving in a country from where the epidemic is out of control.
That would include an agreement to isolate yourself at home for a week prior to departure and wear a mask throughout transit, as well as obtaining a negative rapid test prior to departure.
“If we cut the number of infected people arriving here in half, we cut the risk for New Zealand in half.”
Of the new cases announced Sunday, travelers who tested positive came from India, the United Kingdom, the United States, Denmark, Seychelles and South Africa.
The total number of active cases in New Zealand is 72, the total number of confirmed cases is 1,825.
