Covid 19 coronavirus update: 31 new cases in managed isolation

There are 31 new cases of Covid-19 in controlled isolation since Thursday.

There are no new cases in the community. Nineteen cases at the border are now linked to the rapidly spreading UK strain of coronavirus.

“The number of cases reinforces the need for continued surveillance at the border, as Covid-19 continues to accelerate abroad,” the Health Ministry said.

International sailors

There are 11 new cases linked to a group of international sailors.

“Only three of these cases have been identified as current cases, while the majority (eight) have been identified as historical cases. A total of 190 sailors arrived on Wednesday and are in managed isolation and quarantine facilities in Christchurch,” he said the ministry. .

“Several sailors were unable to board flights to New Zealand after testing positive during pre-departure tests.

Managed isolation and quarantine facilities have strengthened procedures and protocols to ensure risk to others in the group and at the facility is reduced. “

UK strain

The ministry said there are 19 cases in total, in people in managed isolation facilities, that are related to the rapidly spreading UK strain of coronavirus. One case is related to the South African strain, the ministry said.

“Most of these people have come to New Zealand from the United Kingdom, via the United Arab Emirates, Qatar or Singapore,” the ministry said.

The new strain has forced the UK to crash again, amid fears that its healthcare system will be overwhelmed.

On Saturday, the British government reported that the number of confirmed deaths had reached 80,868, the highest in Europe and the fifth highest number of deaths from pandemics in the world. A day earlier, reported daily deaths in the country had reached a record 1,325.

The newer and more contagious UK variant can be spread more easily than other strains of the virus.

However, there was no evidence at this stage that the length of the infection period was different than any other variant of Covid-19 or that it made people sicker, according to a ministry statement.

The ministry said that people who tested positive for the new strain were being treated with the same high level of infection prevention measures as all Covid-19 cases.

“Infection prevention control protocols are in place for all staff and we can assure the public that there is no increased risk to the community,” the statement said.

The Hamilton District Court was put on a brief lockdown Wednesday after a woman working in a managed isolation facility appeared in court and told a staff member she had a runny nose and was awaiting the outcome. from a Covid-19 test.

The lockdown was lifted after about an hour and a half, and between 40 and 50 members of the public were allowed out, but the court remained closed for the rest of the day.