Covid-19: Bluff wedding cluster closed

New Zealand’s largest Covid-19 cluster, related to a wedding reception in Bluff, has closed.

The Ministry of Health closed the cluster yesterday, meaning the last case connected to the cluster had recovered and there had been no new cases linked to it for two incubation periods.

The cluster involved 98 cases and was the country’s highest, followed by the Marist College cluster in Auckland, which had 96 cases, and the Matamata bar cluster with 77 cases.

Two deaths were linked to the Bluff cluster, one confirmed and one presumed.

One of the deaths was the groom’s father, Chrisanthos (Christo)

Tzanoudakis, 87, who died in Wellington.

On April 19, director-general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield confirmed that a man in his 70s had died of Covid-19 complications at home in Invercargill, which was recorded as New Zealand’s first Covid- 19 death.

The wedding itself, on March 21, took place ‘‘in a grand manner’’, a wedding guest from Wellington earlier told The Southland Times, including a ceremony at Invercargill and a reception at the Oyster Cove Restaurant in Bluff.

The bride, who spoke to The Southland Times in April, said the couple had considered postponing the wedding, but they made the call to carry on with it because the groom’s father would not have been able to attend at a later date for travel reasons.

The Ministry linked the cluster to overseas travel.

The bride works at the Invercargill City Council, where about 10 staff members test positive for the virus.

The wedding was held four days before the lockdown was imposed, at a time when groups of fewer than 100 people were allowed to mix.

Bluff Oyster Cove owner Ross Jackson said the cluster closing was good news.

‘‘It’s good to get that behind us. It’s not something you want to be known for.’’

He said being associated with the cluster was difficult, but pointed out ‘‘it was never from Bluff’’.

When news broke of the cluster, Jackson was most concerned for his staff.

Initially it was quite a nerve-wracking time, he said. ‘‘It’s not something I would line up to do again,’’ Jackson said.

Council chief executive Clare Hadley said she felt for the bride.

‘‘It’s good to see it has come to a close,’’ Hadley said.

Bluff Community Board chairman Raymond Fife said it was ‘‘bloody good’’ for the cluster to be closed.

‘‘We’ve thought there were no cases for a while, but it’s good to have it confirmed,’’ Fife said.

‘‘We knew it was from people outside Bluff, but having it closed still feels good.’’

The Bluff cluster was one of two clusters in the Southern District Health Board’s catchment area, along with the World Hereford Conference cluster, which had 38 cases and closed on June 11.

Southern DHB medical officer of health Dr Susan Jack said the closure of the cluster was another great milestone for the south.

‘‘We thank everyone for the part they played in helping to break the chain of transmission of Covid-19 in the south, and we remember all of those who were affected in this cluster.’’

Of the 16 clusters recorded in New Zealand, only one linked to an aged care facility in Auckland remained open.

In the end, 55 people in Southland were infected with Covid-19, along with 161 in Otago, bringing the Southern region’s total to 216 – the second-highest case number for any district health board in the country.

‘‘It’s good to see it has come to a close.’’ Clare Hadley, Invercargill City Council chief executive