Infected AUT student’s neighbour tests positive

AUCKLAND: The neighbour of the AUT student who tested positive for Covid19 has been confirmed as another community case following an investigation.

There are also two new cases; both are returnees in managed isolation.

The new case, connected to the Defence Force cluster, was confirmed as a case yesterday after on Saturday returning a ‘‘weak positive’’ result.

The person’s initial test was negative but a further test picked up the weak positive result, which officials investigated further.

The Ministry of Health said the test results indicated a ‘‘very recent infection’’.

The neighbour was classed as a close contact of the student — also known as

Case D — and has been in the Auckland quarantine facility since November 12.

The Auckland Regional Public Health Unit has also identified seven close contacts and three casual ones; all have had testing arranged, which was expected to be completed by the end of yesterday.

There are no places of interest identified to date for this latest case.

The other two cases in managed isolation are returnees from the UK and Dubai. Both have been transferred to the Auckland quarantine facility.

The total number of active cases is 58 and the total number of confirmed cases is now 1645.

Meanwhile, two New Zealanders flying into the Cook Islands have gone into quarantine after one was found to have been at an Auckland location visited by the AUT student.

Authorities have released a list of the shops the woman visited while symptomatic and potentially infectious.

The Cook Islands have had no reported cases of Covid19 and are anxious for tourism to restart. — The New Zealand Herald