23 Aug 2020

Covid-19 update: One new community case, two imported cases in New Zealand today

1:33 pm on 23 August 2020

There is just one new case of Covid-19 reported in the community in New Zealand today, along with two more imported cases, the Health Ministry has confirmed.

A health worker conducts a test at a COVID-19 coronavirus testing centre in the suburb of Northcote in Auckland on August 12, 2020.

Photo: AFP

There was no media conference today.

In a statement, the Health Ministry said there are still nine people in hospital with the coronavirus, including three in ICU.

It said the one new case that has been epidemiologically linked to the Auckland cluster is a household contact of a previously reported case.

The two cases in managed isolation include a woman in her 20s who arrived in New Zealand on August 16 from Croatia via Switzerland and Hong Kong. She had been staying at the Sudima in Rotorua and has been transferred to the Jet Park quarantine facility after testing positive for Covid-19 around day 3 of her stay.

The other imported case is a person in their 30s who had been in isoaltion at the Grand Millennium in Auckland and tested positive around day 12 of their stay.

There are now a total of 114 of active cases in New Zealand, which includes 18 imported cases from managed isolation facilities.

The Ministry has now contacted 2219 of the 2308 close contacts of these cases that have been identified.

The total number of Covid-19 cases in New Zealand is now 1324.

Two people are in Auckland City Hospital, four people in Middlemore, two people in North Shore Hospital and one person in Waikato Hospital. Six people are stable on a ward, and three people in Middlemore are in ICU.

The Ministry said all of the cases who are in hospital are isolated and carefully managed away from other patients.

"The public can be confident that our DHBs are managing this effectively, as they did in the first outbreak of Covid-19 in New Zealand. We have heard reports of people who are reluctant to get an ambulance or go to hospital - hospitals continue to be safe places to receive medical care, and people should feel confident going to hospital to receive treatment."

There were 7005 tests for Covid-19 processed in New Zealand ysterday.

"Laboratories are now processing tests within 24 hours of receiving them, although people should allow four days to be notified of their test results from when they were swabbed. Positive results are notified and followed up straight away.

"This is consistent with timeframes throughout most of the pandemic, and takes into account transport times, processing, checking and notification to GPs."

The Health Ministry also confirmed that the Kingswood rest home facility in Morrinsville has been cleared on any possible cases.

There were six new cases of Covid-19 reported yesterday.

"We sincerely thank the rest home staff, residents, and their families for their assistance in taking the appropriate precautions to ensure the safety of everyone."

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  • If you have symptoms of the coronavirus, call the NZ Covid-19 Healthline on 0800 358 5453 (+64 9 358 5453 for international SIMs) or call your GP - don't show up at a medical centre

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