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New Zealand has nine new coronavirus cases, all in controlled isolation.
Health Ministry officials said the new cases, from a variety of countries, show that Covid-19 continues to hit the world as Kiwis return for vacation.
The new cases were recent returnees from France, the Netherlands, Dubai, the United States, the United Kingdom, Bangladesh, Spain and Italy and were all in quarantine facilities in Auckland and Christchurch.
RYAN ANDERSON / Stuff
The November quarantine group is the only community transmission group currently in New Zealand.
Isolation and mandatory testing would remain critically important as large numbers of New Zealanders return home during the holiday period, a ministry spokesman said.
READ MORE:
* Covid-19: Six new cases of coronavirus, one of which a border worker is already in quarantine.
* Covid-19: Two new cases of coronavirus in managed isolation
* Covid-19: military quarantine personnel moved to the Navy base under level 3 rules
Travel details for new cases
One person arrived from France on November 17 and tested positive around day 3. They are now in the Auckland quarantine facility.
One person arrived from the Netherlands on November 17 and tested positive around day 3. They are now in the Auckland quarantine facility.
One person arrived from Dubai on November 17 and tested positive around day 3. They are now in the Auckland quarantine facility.
One person arrived from the United States on November 19 and tested positive around day 3. They are now under quarantine in Christchurch.
LAWRENCE SMITH
Transportation with a mask became mandatory on Thursday, within all public transport (file photo).
One person arrived from the UK on November 14 and tested positive after routine surveillance around the 7th. They are now in the Auckland quarantine facility.
Two people, who were traveling separately, arrived on the same flight from Bangladesh on November 10 and tested positive around the 12th. They are now in the Auckland quarantine facility.
One person arrived from Spain on November 16 and tested positive around day 3. They are now in the Auckland quarantine facility.
One person arrived from Italy on November 16 and tested positive around day 3. They are now under quarantine in Christchurch.
Case F of the November quarantine group
Genome sequencing of Case F reported on Saturday has confirmed a direct link to the November quarantine group.
Case F has been isolated since November 7 as a close contact for Case B.
There is an additional recovered case, which means there are 50 active Covid-19 cases in New Zealand today.
That brings the total number of confirmed cases to 1,672.
As of Saturday, the labs processed 6,504 tests for Covid-19, bringing the total number of tests completed to date to 1,230,901.
This continuous and robust level of testing, as well as the prompt identification, tracing, testing and isolation of close contacts provides continued assurance that this group is contained at this stage.
Get tested
The Health Ministry encouraged everyone who visited a place of interest during the November group-relevant time period to get tested, to ensure they can quickly identify anyone who may have been infected.
As part of this enhanced surveillance, we continue to have two pop-up test facilities in central and eastern Auckland on Sunday.
Both locations are walk-in and do not require an appointment.
Downtown Auckland’s pop-up test location is on the High Street, near a number of ‘locations of interest’.
The East Auckland location is at 292A Botany Road (Spectrum House).
These and other test locations are available on the ARPHS website.
“We have the best chance of getting ahead of Covid-19 if everyone who falls ill with cold or flu symptoms stays home and seeks a test quickly, and all New Zealanders are keeping an eye on where they’ve been and who you’ve seen.”
November Quarantine Group
What is known as the November quarantine group comes from a Defense Force worker (Case A) who was stationed at the Auckland Quarantine Facility, Jet Park.
The group also includes cases B, C, D, E and now F.
Case B is a civilian worker from the Wellington Defense Force who helped organize a workshop on Army values and Case C is another civilian from the Defense Force.
Case D is an AUT student who tested positive for the virus on November 12 after Case A spent time in the city near where he lives and works while he was infected the day after the workshop, on November 5.
Case D infected a neighbor at 106 Vincent St apartments, known as Case E.
On Friday, three cases of coronavirus were found in controlled isolation.
