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Abigail Dougherty / Stuff
Photo of staff outside the Jet Park hotel in Māngere, Auckland.
More than 200 healthcare workers have been infected with Covid-19 during the course of the pandemic, with five cases in managed quarantine and isolation workers, the data shows.
In an attempt to better protect front-line personnel, all MIQ facility workers are now advised to wear N95 masks in situations where they are unable to socially distance themselves.
The Health Ministry updated its guidance on the use of N95 / P2 masks following a review of concerns that border workers could contract Covid-19 through transmission of the virus through the air.
The new guide also comes after the New Zealand Nurses Organization expressed concern for the health and well-being of nurses at MIQ facilities.
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According to the Health Ministry, staff are now advised to wear N95 / P2 masks when a physical distance of two meters cannot be maintained from a confirmed or probable case of Covid-19. An example of this is when staff enter a confined space, such as a guest room.
Personnel requiring an N95 / P2 mask, which offers a higher level of protection than basic masks from the supermarket, for example, must now also be trained to don them.
Chris McKeen / Stuff
Covid-19 testing is taking place in Auckland. (File photo)
By the numbers
Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, 201 cases of Covid-19 have been recorded as healthcare workers in EpiSurv, the national reportable disease surveillance database.
Of these, 159 had a locally acquired infection, meaning they were contracted in New Zealand during previous outbreaks.
As of November 16, data from the ministry shows that there have been five cases of Covid-19 in MIQ workers, of which three were healthcare workers.
Two were health workers at the Sudima Christchurch Airport Managed Isolation and Quarantine Center, and one was a health worker at the Jet Park Auckland Quarantine Center.
The two remaining workers were a maintenance worker at the Rydges-run isolation facility in Auckland, and the latter was a worker from the Jet Park New Zealand Defense Force.
The ministry released a report in October detailing health care and support workers diagnosed with Covid-19 in the first wave of the virus.
It found that as of June 12, there were 167 cases of Covid-19 in healthcare personnel, which at that time represented about 11 percent of total cases.
In a statement to Things, a ministry spokesperson said that since June 12, there have been 12 locally procured and five imported healthcare workers diagnosed with Covid-19 in New Zealand.
Ministry of Health
Since June 12, 12 locally purchased and five imported healthcare workers have been diagnosed with the virus.
Four of these cases were doctors, eight were nurses, one was a person in a management role, two people in a support worker role, and two people were classified as “other”.
By comparison, in Ausralia, four Australian Border Force officers tested positive for Covid-19 during the course of the pandemic.
An ABF spokesperson said that as of November 11, one staff member in New South Wales and three in Queensland had tested positive for the virus during the months of March and April.
Chief Health Officer Dr. Ashley Bloomfield says that priority is given to healthcare workers.
Chief Health Officer Dr. Ashley Bloomfield said that protecting frontline MIQ workers was a top priority in the ongoing effort to eliminate Covid-19.
“The provision of appropriate PPE has always been an important part of protecting the health of our front-line workers. We are always improving our approach to this, to reflect what we learn from experience and the growing global understanding of how the virus operates.
RNZ
The Pakistan cricket team on tour is being closely watched after six of them tested positive for Covid-19.
Kate Weston of the New Zealand Nurses Organization (NZNO) said the new N95 mask tip was definitely a step in the right direction.
But he said they would like to see the council be further expanded to take into account the risks of newcomers and possible asymptomatic cases. He also believes that all isolation facility personnel should have access to N95 masks if necessary, as well as training on their use.
Front-line health personnel were an important part of keeping the MIQ facilities running. Staff have a “great responsibility” to keep us all safe, and their own safety and well-being were important, he said.
A spokesperson for quarantine and managed isolation said that the “amazing people” working at our MIQ facilities and at the border were our front-line defense against Covid-19.
“Every day they stand between us and the virus to keep returning New Zealanders and our communities safe.
“Whether they are healthcare personnel, defense personnel, hotel workers or others, they are all performing vital tasks and we owe them a debt of gratitude.”
