There is one new case of Covid-19 reported in New Zealand managed isolation today and another person in is hospital for an unrelated matter.
The Ministry of Health says the new case is a man in his 40s who arrived in the country last Wednesday from Mexico, flying via Los Angeles.
"He tested positive following day three surveillance testing and has been transferred, along with his family, to a quarantine facility in Auckland."
One person was transferred from Auckland’s quarantine facility to Middlemore Hospital yesterday evening for an unrelated health condition.
"This person is in a stable condition. Members of staff treating the man were made aware he had returned from overseas to a managed quarantine facility and appropriate protocols were followed, including the use of PPE. No members of staff are considered close contacts."
The patient was cared for in a separate room in the Emergency Department at Middlemore Hospital before being transferred to a separate room on one of the hospital wards.
The ministry says the hospital has had considerable recent experience of treating patients with Covid-19 and members of the public can be assured the hospital is safe for patients, visitors and staff. The number of active cases in New Zealand is 26 and the number of confirmed cases is 1,204.
"It has now been 80 days since the last case of Covid-19 was acquired locally from an unknown source."
Yesterday laboratories processed 681 tests. The vast majority of these, 673, were swabs taken from managed isolation facilities. The seven-day rolling daily average number of tests is 1,932 and the total number of tests completed in New Zealand to date is 443,169.
"The ministry is aware that school holidays and lower rates than usual of influenza in the community may have an impact on testing. It is also encouraging anyone offered a test to take it, as this is an important part of our overall strategy to detect any community cases of Covid-19 as quickly as possible."
The ministry is working with general practice representative groups to look at actions required to ensure an appropriate level of testing in the community, as part of our overall testing and surveillance.