One more community case
Person linked to cluster and in MIQ tests positive as NZ adjusts to raised alert levels
Another community Covid19 case was announced yesterday evening by the Ministry of Health. person linked to Auckland’s February cluster — who is already in quarantine — has tested positive.
“This person is being referred to as Case O and is a household contact of Cases I, J, K and L,” the ministry said in a statement.
“Case O was transferred to the Auckland quarantine facility on February 23 as a precautionary measure.
“The person became symptomatic yesterday and returned a positive Covid-19 test this afternoon. This means that Case O has been in quarantine for their infectious period.
“As a result of the early precautionary measures carried out to contain potential Covid-19 spread from this household there are no new locations of interest and no risk to members of the public.
“Whole genome sequencing will be carried out to confirm a link between Case O and the other cases in the cluster.”
The ministry also updated information about Case N, saying preliminary whole genome sequencing results confirmed the case was similar to that of Case M and was linked to the current outbreak.”
The case of Covid-19 — a student who went to a gym while he was symptomatic — has the UK variant of the virus, Covid Response Minister Chris Hipkins said yesterday, as he defended the Government’s decision to return to lockdown in Auckland.
Aucklanders are back in level 3 restrictions for a full week and the rest of New Zealand is at level 2 after the 21-year-old student visited public locations before testing positive.
The new case — “Case M” — attends the Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT) and is the older brother of a Papatoetoe High School student. The man, who was a casual contractor at Kerry Logistics (Oceania) Limited, went to MIT for three days and to the gym twice — including once after taking a Covid test — when he should have been isolating at home.
Hipkins told TVNZ yesterday that the genomic sequencing suggested a link with the South Auckland cluster. He confirmed the student had the more contagious UK variant of Covid19
but officials did not yet know how he caught the virus.
Officials also did not know if other people had been infected. Hipkins is calling on anyone who has Covid symptoms to “go get a test now”.
Hipkins denied that Auckland came out of its earlier three-day lockdown too soon. At the time, he said, the cases were looking contained.
He said he learned about the new case early on Saturday afternoon. Officials worked on the case details and movements through the afternoon, before a Cabinet meeting last night and a hastily arranged press
conference at 9pm at which Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and director general of health Ashley Bloomfield announced the alert-level changes.
Major events have been disrupted. Sunday morning’s Round the Bays run in Auckland was called off, while the Black Caps’ and White Ferns’ T20 cricket double-header, scheduled for Eden Park on Friday, has been moved to Wellington where the games will be played without crowds. The racing schedule for the America’s Cup — which was due to start on the Hauraki Gulf on Saturday — is being reviewed.
Police yesterday set up roadblocks once more at the Auckland region borders.
“Anyone attempting to travel across the regional boundaries should expect to be stopped and asked for proof of essential travel,” a police statement said. ‘Case M’ Instead of following health advice, Case M had been out in the community while infectious. This included attending the Manukau Institute of Technology for three days — February 22, 25 and 26.
All MIT students were emailed on Saturday evening — they need to stay at home under the rules of level 3 and those considered close contacts will be followed up by health officials. MIT was getting a deep clean yesterday.
Case M is the older brother of a student from Papatoetoe High School who had returned three negative tests and was asymptomatic. It was announced last night that Case M’s mother had also tested positive. PM left ‘frustrated’ Ardern said there was “no doubt“that a contributing factor to the lockdown was that rules were not being followed.
The new community case should have been in isolation, she said. But after going to the GP to get a Covid19 test, he ignored health advice and went to the gym.
He had also been to a number of other locations when he was symptomatic. “Of course it’s frustrating,” Ardern said.
She was leaving no room for interpretation when it came to how clear officials made this to the new community case. “I’ve seen the records of the multiple communications that went to members of the school community, advising them of what was required of students and household contacts.”
Hipkins said yesterday it was “disappointing” the Covid-19 positive person didn’t follow health advice. But he said he did not want a “pile [on]” as that would discourage other people to get tested.
He said officials were now checking records to see when the family was contacted.
Hipkins called on all New Zealanders to follow the rules. As soon as vaccines were available, they would be rolled out to people who were “more at risk”. Collins speaks out
On TVNZ’s Q&A yesterday, National Party leader Judith Collins called on South Auckland to be prioritised when it came to the vaccine rollout. “We need to be realistic here. South Auckland needs this.” Hipkins said South Auckland, where Auckland Airport is located, was a setting that was more “at risk”.
Ardern sounded a warning to wouldbe rule breakers. “We do have the ability to take enforcement action.” The action comes in the form of section 70 of the health order, which means a medical officer of health can oblige people to isolate.
But it was clear Ardern did not favour this heavy-handed approach. “I don’t want to create an environment where an individual who has made mistakes here, is so pilloried, that no one wants to be tested.”
She urged everyone to “please follow the rules on behalf of everyone”. Collins wants the Government to throw the book at people who ignored the rules.
“We need to consider tougher penalties against those who are not following public health advice around isolation and testing,” she said. University of Otago epidemiologist Michael Baker told TVNZ yesterday there was a huge responsibility on New Zealanders — especially Aucklanders — to get tested if symptoms appeared. Level 3 and level 2
Ardern said the Government had no choice but to put Auckland back into lockdown after the new case was detected in the community.
“This will take some time,” she said, but at this stage, it was likely Auckland would stay at level 3 for the whole seven days. For the rest of the county, the level 2 settings will be reviewed throughout the week.
“I understand people’s disappointment,” Hipkins told TVNZ yesterday. But he added that the Oxford index showed NZ had been one of the freest counties in the world.