Two new Covid cases in NZ, 10 active cases now, 1 recovered
The first was a man in his 20s who flew into the country from India.
The second was also a man in his 20s travelling from Los Angeles who tested positive at Jet Park Hotel, which he had been at since arriving in the country after experiencing respiratory symptoms.
Dr Bloomfield said a case in Wellington was now considered recovered, so the total number of active cases in the country is 10.
Confirmed cases were at 1165. The Auckland St Margaret's cluster is still open.
Since 9 June, testing in managed isolation facilities has been rolled out, there's been suggestions that people should be tested at the borders. Dr Bloomfield said the tests performed at day three and day 12 were more effective at identifying cases than that would be.
"The reason why we don't test at arrival, and we wait until day three of isolation is because that is about day five of people's journey ... and we know testing then is more likely to pick up infection than earlier testing from when people may be incubating the virus but not test positive," he said.
Testing at day 12 provided extra security because tests have a false negative rate of 20-30 percent and ensured no infection ahead of people's departure from the facility, he said.
Dr Bloomfield said the final person who had been granted a compassionate exemption to leave isolation who had not been followed up yesterday had since been contacted, and testing had been arranged.
He said another five people who had contact with the Novotel Ellerslie - where two women who were granted compassionate exemptions had been - had been contacted, leaving jut six of the 190 contacts outstanding.
Dr Bloomfield said the ministry was still following up with 2159 people who had left managed isolation between 9 and 16 June, and urged anyone in that category - which included people who had exemptions and those at the Novotel - to contact the dedicated health number (09 302 0408).
He said he still did not have information on how many of those people had been tested.
"This is because the testing was done and no NHI (National Health Index number) was necessary on the information that the hotel has got, so we're busy matching the testing in the lab database and the names and dates of the birth of the people."
All those people would have completed their 14-day isolation, undergone health screening, and been offered testing upon departure, he said, and posed a "very low risk to people in the community".
"New Zealand is one of a very small number of countries that not only includes 14 day mandatory isolation, but also the double testing before people are allowed to go out in the community," Dr Bloomfield said.
"Ninety-nine percent of people if they are going to be showing the infection would have done that by day 11 or 12, so there's room built into that [14-day period]."
He said that was in line with international evidence about isolation.
"Once people have completed 14 days, they pose very little risk to the community, even if they might have virus detectable it doesn't mean they are infectious."
He asked for any further information about a homeless person who was said to have spent time in a managed isolation facility. He said so far the information had not been verified and "very well may be an urban myth".
Yesterday there were two new Covid-19 cases in managed isolation facilities - one at Novotel Auckland Airport and one at the Grand Millennium, also in Auckland.
Since then the government has extended a ban on cruise ships and updated its health order to clarify that travellers must take a test, possibly several, before leaving isolation.
The first was a man in his 20s who flew into the country from India.
The second was also a man in his 20s travelling from Los Angeles who tested positive at Jet Park Hotel, which he had been at since arriving in the country after experiencing respiratory symptoms.
Dr Bloomfield said a case in...
The first was a man in his 20s who flew into the country from India.
The second was also a man in his 20s travelling from Los Angeles who tested positive at Jet Park Hotel, which he had been at since arriving in the country after experiencing respiratory symptoms.
Dr Bloomfield said a case in Wellington was now considered recovered, so the total number of active cases in the country is 10.
Confirmed cases were at 1165. The Auckland St Margaret's cluster is still open.
Since 9 June, testing in managed isolation facilities has been rolled out, there's been suggestions that people should be tested at the borders. Dr Bloomfield said the tests performed at day three and day 12 were more effective at identifying cases than that would be.
"The reason why we don't test at arrival, and we wait until day three of isolation is because that is about day five of people's journey ... and we know testing then is more likely to pick up infection than earlier testing from when people may be incubating the virus but not test positive," he said.
Testing at day 12 provided extra security because tests have a false negative rate of 20-30 percent and ensured no infection ahead of people's departure from the facility, he said.
Dr Bloomfield said the final person who had been granted a compassionate exemption to leave isolation who had not been followed up yesterday had since been contacted, and testing had been arranged.
He said another five people who had contact with the Novotel Ellerslie - where two women who were granted compassionate exemptions had been - had been contacted, leaving jut six of the 190 contacts outstanding.
Dr Bloomfield said the ministry was still following up with 2159 people who had left managed isolation between 9 and 16 June, and urged anyone in that category - which included people who had exemptions and those at the Novotel - to contact the dedicated health number (09 302 0408).
He said he still did not have information on how many of those people had been tested.
"This is because the testing was done and no NHI (National Health Index number) was necessary on the information that the hotel has got, so we're busy matching the testing in the lab database and the names and dates of the birth of the people."
All those people would have completed their 14-day isolation, undergone health screening, and been offered testing upon departure, he said, and posed a "very low risk to people in the community".
"New Zealand is one of a very small number of countries that not only includes 14 day mandatory isolation, but also the double testing before people are allowed to go out in the community," Dr Bloomfield said.
"Ninety-nine percent of people if they are going to be showing the infection would have done that by day 11 or 12, so there's room built into that [14-day period]."
He said that was in line with international evidence about isolation.
"Once people have completed 14 days, they pose very little risk to the community, even if they might have virus detectable it doesn't mean they are infectious."
He asked for any further information about a homeless person who was said to have spent time in a managed isolation facility. He said so far the information had not been verified and "very well may be an urban myth".
Yesterday there were two new Covid-19 cases in managed isolation facilities - one at Novotel Auckland Airport and one at the Grand Millennium, also in Auckland.
Since then the government has extended a ban on cruise ships and updated its health order to clarify that travellers must take a test, possibly several, before leaving isolation.
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