Community free of Covid

There were five new coronavirus cases in managed isolation and none in the community yesterday.

Further wastewater samples have also been collected from the Wellington region after two samples earlier returned a weak positive Covid result, the Ministry of Health said today.

However, the results from the new samples are not expected to be available until this evening.

“It is likely the two weak positive results are due to recently recovered cases continuing to shed the virus,” the Ministry of Health said.

Anyone with symptoms, especially those in the Wellington region, were urged to get tested promptly.

The five new cases in MIQ were all recent returnees from India who flew to New Zealand via Qatar. All the returnees tested positive on day one routine testing, while two cases tested positive on their day zero routine tests. The cases flew into New Zealand on May 14 and 15.

On Sunday health authorities reported that two Wellington wastewater samples from the Moa Point treatment plant had tested weak positive for Covid.

Late on Friday, ESR reported a weak positive result from a sample. A follow-up sample on Sunday returned a second weak positive.

In recent weeks, three recovered cases who live in the Wellington region have left an Auckland quarantine facility. A further historical case left a Wellington facility the same day the second sample was taken.