Govt anticipates more cases
SOUTHERN cases of Covid19 surged past 30 yesterday, as the Ministry of Health warned the number of cases of the potentially fatal pandemic disease will keep rising for at least the next 10 days.
The majority of the 12 new cases in the South had some connection to the World Hereford Conference in Queenstown — an event now linked to 15 of New Zealand’s Covid19 cases — as well as some overseas cases.
In addition, the SDHB confirmed at least one Covid19 case attended the Wanaka A&P Show, an event which attracted thousands of visitors.
‘‘We ask anyone who has developed symptoms suggestive of Covid19 and who attended the Wanaka A&P show (March 1315) to contact Healthline or their family GP as they may need testing,’’ an SDHB spokeswoman said.
‘‘More Southern DHB Covid19 cases are expected to be confirmed in coming days as New Zealanders return home from overseas and as a result of exposure at the World Hereford Conference.’’
The Ministry of Health yesterday released statistics from New Zealand’s Covid19 cases; with 31, the South ranked fourth behind Auckland (45), Capital and Coast (39) and Waikato (34) among the 20 DHBs.
‘‘Public Health staff are working very hard at identifying close contacts of these cases and providing advice and thank everyone for their cooperation and assistance,’’ the SDHB spokeswoman said.
Directorgeneral of health Ashley Bloomfield said the conference was one of several clusters of infection linked to events or people, and urgent contact tracing was ongoing to find people who may have been exposed to Covid19.
Those clusters included an Auckland school, a Wellington wedding and a Hamilton resthome.
The Wellington wedding was linked to the first case of Covid19, a Hokitika man who was a guest.
Across New Zealand, 283 people had contracted Covid19; 27 of those had now recovered.
New Zealand has yet to see a death linked to Covid19; seven people had been admitted to hospital with the disease, but none were in intensive care, Dr Bloomfield said.
None of the people in hospital were in the southern region.
‘‘We will expect the number of Covid19 cases in New Zealand to continue to increase over coming days, and for at least 10 days,’’ Dr Bloomfield said.
We will expect the number of Covid
19 cases in New Zealand to continue
to increase over coming days, and for
at least 10 days Directorgeneral of health
Ashley Bloomfield
‘‘If we all do our bit and help to break the chain of transmission that number will start to decline and we will be able to get on top of this,’’ Dr Bloomfield said.
New Zealand yesterday spent its first day at Covid19 Alert Level 4, which mandates a shutdown of the country apart from essential service workers, supermarkets and service stations.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern yesterday thanked New Zealanders for taking the step to Level 4 in their stride, and urged people to continue to respect rules concerning staying at home and observing social distancing if required to go out to exercise or buy food.
‘‘Ultimately, we will only be able to do this if we do it together,’’ she said.
Finance Minister Grant Robertson yesterday said the wage subsidy scheme created to support businesses would be widened, and that more details would come in the following days.
So far, more than $1 billion has been paid out to almost a quarter of a million employees.
‘‘We do not want people to be laid off,’’ Mr Robertson said.
‘‘We do not want employers to think that they have to lay staff off.’’
The Government also announced a $27 million funding package for social sector services and community groups, including funding for Women’s Refuge to run daytoday operations and find additional premises if needed.
Drugbuying agency Pharmac yesterday placed temporary restrictions on prescription medicine, effective today.
All funded medicines will be restricted to one month’s supply, except for the oral contraceptive pill, which will be available in threemonth prescriptions.
Pharmac chief executive Sarah Fitt said there were no significant shortages of medicines in New Zealand, but some people had stockpiled in the days leading up to the imposition of the Level 4 alert.