17 Jan 2022

Covid-19: NZ dangerously close to Omicron outbreak

From Morning Report, 7:52 am on 17 January 2022

Public health experts say the country's teetering dangerously close to an Omicron outbreak, with the variant detected in an Auckland MIQ worker.

The new community Omicron case, confirmed over the weekend, had been infectious since January the 10th.

The positive test result was picked up during surveillance testing.

More than 50 close contacts have been identified so far, plus eight locations of interest, including two bus services and a supermarket.

Sarah Robson speaks with Covid-19 modeller, University of Canterbury professor Michael Plank.