Blenheim Covid-19 case stayed a night in Tokoroa
A person with Covid-19 who travelled to Blenheim spent a night in Tokoroa before flying from Rotorua Airport, the Ministry of Health has confirmed.
Two new Covid cases have also been announced in the Waikato region.
The person who travelled to Blenehim stayed at a ‘‘residential address’’ in Tokoroa, the ministry said in yesterday’s 1pm update.
It has previously said the person was linked to the Te Awamutu cluster.
‘‘Public Health officials are now investigating whether there are any potential exposure events in the [Tokoroa] area, associated with this case.’’
As of 3.30pm Sunday, no Tokoroa places were on the Ministry’s locations of interest site.
A Tokoroa testing station was being set up and would be operating today, a social media post from South Waikato Pacific Islands Community Services said.
It would run 11am-3pm at Tokoroa Hospital’s Gate 4, between Tokoroa Medical Centre and Tokoroa Family Health.
The centre is run in partnership with local GPs, Raukawa Charitable Trust, and Waikato District Health Board, the post said.
The Ministry of Health couldn’t say whether the person in Blenheim – understood to be a man – was breaking alert level rules by crossing a boundary, how he was able to do so or whether he had an exemption. Interviews continue, and a third contact has returned a negative test.
In a statement, the ministry thanked the person for getting tested and said the firm priority was working out where they had been and managing any public health risk.
The Waikato region had two new cases reported yesterday: one in Hamilton and one in Te Awamutu/Kihikihi. All are known contacts of existing cases and have been in touch with Public Health. This brings total cases for Waikato during this outbreak to 87, with six cases for which epidemiological links remain under investigation.
The two cases in Otorohanga, announced on Sunday evening, were confirmed after the Ministry’s daily reporting period.