Covid case exposes decline in app use

FEWER than 20 people received an alert about being in the same place as Auckland’s new community coronavirus case, prompting the Ministry of Health to reinforce the importance of using the tracing app.

The quarantine worker is

New Zealand’s only new case of Covid-19.

A total of 25 close contacts of the Jet Park quarantine hotel worker have been identified, isolated and tested. Six have so far returned negative results, the ministry said yesterday.

The worker, who developed symptoms on November 5, was tested that day and returned a positive result. They visited two central Auckland businesses while infectious, Mezze Bar and Liquor.com.

The ministry said fewer than 20 people who had been in the same location as the infected person received an alert from the tracer app, which reinforced the need for people use it.

‘‘This case once again reinforces the importance of everyone who is able to use the app to keep a record of where they have been – it allows our contact tracing team to quickly notify you if you may have been exposed to this virus, and allows you to take immediate action to protect yourself, your wha¯nau, and your community.’’

The worker has now been transferred to the quarantine facility to isolate.

‘‘A review of the movements of the case and their contacts is under way – the case has provided a very detailed account of their movements which has informed a rapid contact tracing response.’’

The ministry thanked the two businesses for closing to conduct deep cleans and for their cooperation.

A testing station was set up at the Jet Park Hotel yesterday morning to test all staff. This is in addition to the regular testing workers in managed isolation facilities already undergo.

A historical case has also been added to New Zealand’s Covid-19 total.

The ministry said this involved a returnee who arrived in the country on October 5 from London via Singapore.

When they arrived at their managed isolation facility, they told staff they had a positive test confirmed in London on September 19.

They were re-tested and returned a positive test on October 5 with a high CT value, which indicated an old infection.

Three previous Covid-19 cases are now considered recovered, bringing the total number of active cases in New Zealand to 43.

The total number of confirmed cases now stands at 1620.