[ad_1]
A Covid-19 outbreak at a Christchurch quarantine hotel is the second attack on pre-departure testing and isolation.
There are now 18 positive cases at the Sudima Hotel at Christchurch Airport, with health officials expecting more on Thursday.
The hotel is being used as a managed quarantine and isolation facility for 235 fishermen from Russia and Ukraine; half of the 440 that will be transported by fishing companies on chartered flights.
Health Director General Ashley Bloomfield said there was rigorous planning to bring in the sailors, which included two weeks of self-isolation and pre-departure testing before boarding their flight.
READ MORE:
* Covid-19: 25 new cases today, with two community cases linked to the Auckland port worker
* Covid-19: seven new cases at the Christchurch hotel, the second fishermen flight may be delayed
* Covid-19: ‘Big Outbreak’ at Christchurch Isolation Facility Home to Dozens of International Fishermen
Arvid Eriksson / Loading documents
Microbiologist Siouxsie Wiles says that people can test negative but still be incubating the virus.
But he said the ministry could not attest to the effectiveness of the tests abroad.
Lead microbiologist Siouxsie Wiles said that people who tested negative before shipment could still have Covid-19.
“[Pre-departure testing] it’s something I’ve been quite opposed to, especially as a requirement for New Zealanders. People can test negative but are still incubating the virus and if a New Zealander tests positive they could end up stranded abroad. “
But Wiles said that the fact that these cases were detected showed that the New Zealand system was working.
“People who test positive are not a failure, it is just what is happening with Covid-19, which is still so prolific in much of the world.
“If we are going to bring in essential workers, this is just what we have to do.”
Joseph Johnson / Stuff
Covid managed the isolation facilities at the Sudima Hotel near Christchurch Airport.
Wiles said the government had introduced an additional six-day trial for this cohort, which is something that should be taken into account for others coming from high-risk countries.
The infected fishermen were kept in a separate wing of the Sudima Hotel, while those who tested positive at the Auckland MIQ facility were transferred to a separate quarantine hotel.
Wiles said with fewer facilities in Christchurch, it wasn’t that practical.
“A separate wing is fine. We have to have confidence that the people doing the work know about infection prevention and control. “
He said that the fact that many of the fishermen had double bunks did not increase the risk of something going wrong.
“It’s probably just a matter of cost … but there are no inherent risks, except for those with whom they are housed.”
The head of managed isolation and quarantine, Air Commodore Darryn Webb told Newstalk ZB that although the crew members had self-isolated, there was a 24-hour delay while the aircraft worked on its process in Moscow and the fishermen were gathered there. for 48 hours.
Last month, five people who tested positive for Covid-19 in isolation facilities in New Zealand tested negative before leaving India.
They had also stayed in an isolation hotel in New Delhi for three days before their flight to Christchurch, according to Radio NZ.
