Wellington residents on alert after weak positive wastewater test

Health authorities have encouraged anyone with coronavirus symptoms to get tested promptly after a Wellington wastewater sample tested weak positive for the virus.

This also applied to people who had recently visited Wellington.

Late on Friday, ESR reported the weak positive result from a Wellington wastewater sample.

“A follow-up sample yesterday returned a second weak positive result,” the Ministry of Health added in yesterday’s Covid update.

“Based on our experience, it is most likely that the two weak positive results are due to recently recovered cases continuing to shed the virus.”

In recent weeks, three recovered cases who live in the Wellington region have left the Auckland quarantine facility at the Jet Park hotel.

A further historical case left a Wellington managed isolation facility the same day the second wastewater sample was taken.

“Additionally, it is possible that one or more recently recovered cases from elsewhere could have flown into Wellington,” the ministry added.

ESR said if just one recovered person was shedding the virus, it could be detected in wastewater.

There was one new case of Covid in managed isolation to report yesterday and no new cases in the community. Meanwhile, quarantinefree travel between New Zealand and the Australian state of Victoria remains open following news of a community case announced in Melbourne last Tuesday. People who’d been to any locations of interest in Melbourne recently should not travel to New Zealand for 14 days after being at the location of interest.

A dozen locations were outlined on a state government website. Those locations included some train stations and supermarkets.

The Ministry of Health said the public health risk to NZ from the community case in Melbourne announced on Tuesday was low.

Anyone already in New Zealand who had been at a location of interest in Melbourne during the time specified has been urged to call Healthline for advice on isolating and testing.