Covid 19 coronavirus: girl’s family is isolated again after test links her to botany subgroup

Health authorities have confirmed that the child who tested positive for Covid-19 this week is connected to the Botany subgroup in Auckland.

The girl, less than 10 years old, is a student at Chapel Downs Elementary School in Flat Bush.

The school has been closed until at least Monday, as the Auckland Regional Public Health Service works to identify close contacts of the student, who had been at the school on Monday morning for half an hour.

An ARPHS letter sent to the Chapel Downs community yesterday revealed that the girl and three other close contacts were dropped off at the school, on Dawson Rd, just before or around 8:30 a.m.

However, for whatever reason, they were all picked up again around 9am.

The student, who had been tested for Covid-19, received a positive result that same day.

On Monday, the Health Ministry confirmed that there was a community case to report: a girl who was epidemiologically linked to an existing case associated with the Botany subgroup.

That subgroup, now made up of six people, is genomically linked to the broader August Auckland group.

Health officials said that day that the boy had been in isolation since August 30; as she was a family contact from a previously confirmed case.

However, the link to Chapel Downs Elementary was made public yesterday when the school announced that authorities had informed it of the positive case around 2 p.m., according to Principal Vaughan van Rensburg.

Since the girl had been in isolation since August 30, the mandatory 14-day quarantine period ended on Sunday before she returned to school.

However, the family was still waiting for a test result for the girl.

“The child and his family are isolated, and Public Health personnel monitor his health and well-being,” ARPHS said in a statement.

The first botanical case was reported on August 28 and is reportedly made up of two households.

As of September 5, the subgroup included 42 contacts identified at that time.

Chief Health Officer Dr. Ashley Bloomfield has previously said authorities were hopeful the botany subgroup was now well contained.

“It’s just that it showed up quite late, several weeks after the first cases of this outbreak,” he said.

Last Thursday, the Health Ministry published a series of new locations of interest, where confirmed positive cases of Covid-19 had visited before being identified.

Among the locations revealed was Pak’nSave Ormiston, a 4-minute drive from Chapel Downs Primary in Flat Bush.

An infected member of the public visited that supermarket on two occasions: first, on Wednesday, August 26, between 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m., and again on Friday, August 28, between 11:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.

Chapel Downs parents and staff have received letters from ARPHS informing them of the situation and letting them know that they are working to find close contacts as quickly as possible.

“These close contacts will receive further advice on self-isolation and testing,” said a statement.

Children from other schools with siblings in Chapel Downs urged to stay home

There are several schools, including early childhood education centers and elementary, middle and high schools, around the affected school.

Several of those campuses have sent messages to parents and their respective school communities urging students with siblings at Chapel Downs to stay home until further notice.

The nearby Super Kids Learning Center said there were several students who had siblings in the elementary school affected and confirmed that those children had been asked not to enter the center.

A staff member told the Herald that they were staying open and that they were taking all necessary precautions to keep everyone safe.

“We are doing screenings every day, including temperature checks and limiting parents and visitors entering the center,” he said.

Kia Aroha College sent a message of support to those connected to Chapel Downs, but asked that anyone connected to elementary school stay home.

Principal whaea Haley Milne wrote on the school’s Facebook page: “Our love and support goes out to the staff and students at Chapel Downs as they navigate this case and work to ensure that those who came in contact with this child have been contacted and examined.

“We encourage all of our families who also have children who attend Chapel Downs to keep their children at home, including those who attend Kia Aroha as an added precaution, and to also keep all of our Kia Aroha students and families safe.” .