2 Mar 2020

Covid-19: Health Minister discusses coronavirus latest

From Checkpoint, 5:07 pm on 2 March 2020

Cabinet has extended travel restrictions in response to the Covid-19 coronavirus which has now infected almost 90,000 people in 60 countries around the world.

Travel restrictions for people from China and Iran and for Diamond Princess passengers has been been extended for at least another week.

People entering New Zealand from northern Italy and South Korea will need to self isolate for 14 days.

Outside of China, more than 1000 people in Iran have tested positive for coronavirus with at least 54 deaths although critics believe that number could be many more.

Despite panic buying at supermarkets here over the weekend, we still have only one positive case.

That New Zealand resident who arrived home on EK450 from Iran via Bali last Wednesday, is in a stable condition in Auckland Hospital but in the past few minutes, the Director General of Health Ashley Bloomfield has said there are two more possible cases.

Health Minister David Clark talks to Lisa Owen.