Negative tests returned

All five people who lived with a South Korean national who tested positive for Covid-19 after leaving New Zealand have returned negative test results.

Health Minister Chris Hipkins said yesterday that authorities had yet to rule out the worst-case scenario – that the person was infected while in New Zealand.

Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said all the tests done so far, including those housemates in Auckland and border staff at Christchurch Airport, had come back negative.

Yesterday, the Ministry of Health said this reinforced the low risk to New Zealand. ‘‘To date, there is no evidence of any transmission in New Zealand involving this case.’’

The person travelled from Auckland to Christchurch on an Air New Zealand flight on Monday, July 20, before leaving the next day on a Singapore Airlines flight to Singapore. Bloomfield said it was unlikely but not impossible that the person was infected in Singapore.

The person tested positive for Covid-19 on arrival in South Korea. They did not have any symptoms.