Covid 19 coronavirus: Two new MIQ Covid-19 cases today, one whose positive test came back while in hospital

Today two new cases of Covid-19 have been reported in controlled isolation. One tested positive after being transferred to an Auckland hospital from MIQ.

But the Health Ministry says prevention and infection controls were put in place at the hospital to ensure the safety of health workers and the public.

“Health services are available to all managed isolation guests to ensure their health needs are met, and protocols are in place to manage the well-being and safety of staff and the public. The public can be assured that hospitals are safe to visit, “the ministry said. said.

The person was taken to the hospital with a condition not related to Covid-19. The person’s routinely administered isolation test came back positive while they were in the hospital.

Officials also provided an update on the Hamilton community case, revealed yesterday.

“The high CT counts and serology results for the border-related Hamilton case indicate that the case is likely historical and non-infectious. The results of full genomic sequencing have been inconclusive and will be rerun.”

The risk to public health, according to officials, is still considered low.

Meanwhile, the last 60 returnees at the Pullman Managed Isolation Facility have completed health checks and are being released today.

Authorities say the facility will not accept any new returnees and will be thoroughly cleaned according to infection control and prevention protocols.

They reiterated that returnees have to isolate themselves further at home for five days and return a negative test on day five after leaving the Pullman.

Returnees must wear a mask when leaving the hotel or going to the test on day five, the ministry said.

Health professionals will communicate with them daily for health and wellness checks. If they become symptomatic after leaving the facility, they are advised to call Healthline immediately.

“These interim measures will be in effect pending a previously announced review of how transmission occurred at the Pullman Managed Isolation Facility and emerging evidence of the Covid-19 variant.”

The review “will look at the Pullman in its entirety,” a ministry spokesman told the Herald today.

The ministry said it was continually reviewing the managed isolation and quarantine system, as well as border environments.

“These are our first line of defense in minimizing the entry of Covid-19 into New Zealand communities.”

Today’s new numbers mean there are 66 active cases in New Zealand.

4044 tests were processed yesterday. The seven-day moving average to yesterday is 4005 tests processed.

The NZ Covid Tracer now has 2,557,477 registered users and, as of noon yesterday, New Zealanders have scanned 548,317 times. The average number of seven-day analyzes is 935,006.

Hamilton’s person tested positive on his fifth and final day of self-isolation.

Public Health Director Caroline McElnay told reporters yesterday that the person, who was asymptomatic, had been transferred to the Jet Park quarantine facility in Auckland.

She had a “high degree of assurance” that the case was well contained because the person had been in self-isolation for the full five days, she said.

The person had only two close contacts, two housemates, who tested negative for the virus.

Hamilton’s new case is the fourth person to test positive for Covid-19 after isolating himself at the Pullman Hotel.

So far, only one other person has contracted Covid-19 as a result of being in contact with the cases: the mother of a young child who was staying at the Pullman with his father.

There has been no community transmission as a result of the positive case.

McElnay said yesterday that officials were “scratching their heads a bit” about it.

“[What] what we are seeing is slightly different from what we could certainly expect if you look at what has been happening in Australia, “he said.

“What we have seen from abroad is that these new variants could lead to a greater number of community cases. We are seeing that with this, a very small number of people have been infected in the facilities.”

Discussing why there have been no cases of community transmission as a result of the Pullman cases, he said: “We don’t know if that’s luck, but we certainly have very strong systems to be able to respond quickly.”