Covid 19 coronavirus: seven new cases, all at the border

Currently, there are seven new cases of Covid-19, all in managed isolation.

Today’s update was issued via press release at 1pm, there is no live press conference.

There are no new community cases. Four people are in the hospital, but none are in the ICU.

The Health Ministry says that with the exception of one arrival from Uzbekistan, all new cases were detected as a result of the day 3 tests and are now in quarantine.

The new cases in managed isolation are:

• a woman in her 30s who arrived from the United States on September 12 and was in controlled isolation in Wellington.
• a man in his 60s who arrived from India on 12 September and was in controlled isolation in Hamilton.
• a man in his 30s who arrived from India on 12 September and was in controlled isolation in Hamilton.
• a woman in her 20s who arrived from India on 12 September and was in managed isolation in Hamilton.
• a man in his 40s who arrived from Indonesia on 12 September and was in controlled isolation in Christchurch.
• a boy aged 1 to 4 who arrived from India on 12 September and was in controlled isolation in Hamilton.
• a woman in her 50s who arrived from Uzbekistan on September 14. She was tested in Hamilton after appearing symptomatic.

There are 54 people linked to the community group who remain at the Auckland quarantine facility, the Health Ministry spokesman said. That includes 23 people who tested positive for Covid-19 and their household contacts.

“Since August 11, our contact tracing team has identified 4,043 close case contacts, of which 4,036 have been contacted and are self-isolating, and we are in the process of contacting the rest,” the spokesperson said.

Combining today’s new cases with nine additional recovered cases, New Zealand’s total number of active cases is 77.

When asked about the Covid numbers today, Jacinda Ardern said it shows that “we are on the right track, our plan is working.”

Yesterday, the labs processed 8185 tests, bringing the total number of tests completed to date to 889,717, the ministry spokesperson said.

There are now 2,228,300 registered users on NZ Covid Tracer.
A total of 62,533,146 poster scans have been registered in the app. Users have created 2,984,321 manual journal entries on NZ Covid Tracer, the spokesperson said.

“To date, a total of 18 contact alerts have been issued through the app to let people know that they may have been exposed to Covid-19 so that they can take appropriate measures to protect themselves, their whânau and to the community. “

The ministry spokesman said the alert could be tailored to advise people who have visited places with a higher risk of exposure to isolate themselves and get tested, while people who visited places with a lower risk can be ask them to be vigilant for any Covid-19. symptoms.

“Our contact tracing team points to the app as a good example of combining technology with human expertise. The up-to-date contact information provided through the app makes the contact and interview process much faster and easier.” they said.

Chief Health Officer Ashley Bloomfield said it had been great to see the wide acceptance and use of the app in recent weeks.

“It is vital that people continue to do so as we lower alert levels – it should be part of our daily routines,” he said.

It was confirmed earlier today that security was tightened at a managed isolation hotel in Rotorua after a man escaped through a fenced-in area.

The man was missing for half an hour at the Sudima Rotorua hotel last night.

He was reported missing at 11pm yesterday, prompting a search by New Zealand Defense Force personnel.

Police are now investigating the incident and reviewing CCTV security footage to establish exactly where the man went during that time.

“However, there are indications that it did not move beyond the immediate area,” Chief of Managed Isolation and Quarantine Air Commodore Darryn Webb said today.

It appears that the man escaped through a fenced area.

The 25th death of Covid in New Zealand was confirmed yesterday and there was a new case at the border: a woman in her 30s who arrived from Dubai on September 9 and is in controlled isolation.

The woman is linked to three border cases announced earlier this week.

The man who died was Nigel Te Hiko, whose brother Alan also died from the virus two weeks earlier.

Nigel, 54, is believed to have hired Covid from Alan, who had worked at the Americold facility in Auckland.

Isolation slips away

July 4th

Suzanne Marie Derrett, 43, allegedly climbed two hurdles at the Pullman hotel in Auckland’s financial district and left on foot. Authorities located her almost two hours later, two blocks away on Anzac Avenue.

July 07
A 32-year-old man in managed isolation at Auckland’s Stamford Plaza slipped through a gap in the fence around the smoking area. He took a 70-minute excursion, which included shopping at a downtown Countdown supermarket, where he took selfies in the aisles. He returned to the hotel and then tested positive for Covid-19 the next day.

July 9th
Queenstown man Martin James McVicar, 52, ran away from the Distinction Hotel in Hamilton. McVicar allegedly cut the fence ties and walked 10 minutes to buy beer and wine. He was incarcerated in Spring Hill Prison and charged with failing to comply with Covid-19 public health laws. He was also charged with intentional damage to a television at the hotel.

July 24
Five people escaped from the Distinction Hotel in Hamilton. A 37-year-old woman and three young men were found and detained around 8 pm that night, and the fifth, a 17-year-old, was arrested in Auckland at 4:30 am the next day.