Two new cases of Covid-19 have been identified in New Zealand today, one in managed isolation and one in the community, Auckland Regional Public Health Service director William Rainger says.
Watch the briefing starting about 1pm:
Dr Rainger and Health Minister Chris Hipkins are giving today's daily Covid-19 cases update rom Middlemore Hospital today.
The case in managed isolation is a woman in her 30s who arrived from the Philippines via Hong Kong on 29 August, and tested positive at day three of her stay at Distinction Hotel in Christchurch, Rainger says.
He says the community case has been epidemiologically linked to the Auckland cluster.
There are seven people with Covid-19 in hospital, he says, five on a ward and two in intensive care.
With 16 previously reported cases now considered to be recovered - all identified in the community - total active cases are at 115, including 36 people in managed isolation and 79 from the community.
The total number of confirmed cases in the country is now 1408.
Laboratories completed 10,521 tests yesterday.
Yesterday there were five new cases of Covid-19 in the country.
Contact tracing efforts in Auckland continue
Minister Hipkins says this is the first time he has returned to Auckland since the re-emergence of cases in the community.
He acknowledges the staff of ARPHS for their tireless work in the resurgence of the virus, and says contact tracing efforts have consistenly met the "gold standard" target of 80 percent of cases contacted within 48 hours.
He is urging Aucklanders to "take your enhanced alert level" with them when they travel outside the city and to follow the same rules when outside the region.
"Just a reminder, this outbreak affects all parts of Auckland from the North Shore right through to the South. It doesn't matter where you live or work, please continue to take action to protect yourself, your whānau and community."
Health Minister Chris Hipkins gives the daily Covid-19 briefing from Auckland's Middlemore hospital. Photo: RNZ / Dan Cook
He also reminded businesses that they can use multiple QR codes on site.
Since 11 August, the contact tracing team has identified 3162 close contacts of cases of which 2984 have been contacted and are self isolating, Hipkins says.
"That work has made a significant different and one of the reasons Auckland has been able to begin the transition from alert level 3 back down to level 2 with confidence."
There are 92 people linked to the Auckland cluster who have been transferred to quarantine facility, which includes 67 people who tested positive and their household contacts.
Contact tracing involves interviewing cases, calling close contacts and informing them of what they need to do, Dr Rainger says.
He says there are two key things that close contacts need to do - get a test even if you don't have symptoms, and stay at home in self-isolation for 14 days, starting from the day you last had contact with an infected person.
"Comply with isolation and be tested, this is critical for stopping the spread of the virus to other people if it turns out you do have Covid."
"We have Māori and Pacific contact tracers who are involved with cases in these communities, talking to cases, families, churches, to make sure they understand what is required and to ensure have the support necessary for quarantine."
Contact tracing has been surged up since the resurgence of the virus and more than 200 close contacts are called every day, he says.
At the peak of the outbreak, that figure was more than 500 a day, he says.
The national contact tracing centre has helped in the follow up of cases related to schools, he says.
He says on any one day there are a hundred or more staff supporting contact tracing, or helping in the response.
Vaccines will not be compulsory - Hipkins
Hipkins says vaccines will not be compulsory. He says he has been alarmed at the number of people in correspondence expressing concern that would be the case, but says such rumours are the result of deliberate misinformation.
"This is a direct result of misinformation that's been spread through social media," he says.
"The government is not making Covid-19 or any other vaccinations compulsory. We will of course when we have a vaccination encourage people to take a vaccination because it will help keep everybody safe."
Confidence over controls for Auckland outbreak
Dr Rainger says we can be pretty confident that authorities have a good grip on the cluster.
"If you imagine the epidemic curve, it peaked about two weeks ago it is undulating downwards," he says.
"An overwhelming majority" of confirmed cases have been identified through contact tracing and testing, Dr Rainger says.
Auckland Regional Public Health Service director William Rainger Photo: RNZ / Dan Cook
He says the Mt Roskill church gave a little spike but the direction was downwards.
"I would just say we would expect to see cases for probably another few weeks."
Hipkins says record testing numbers have also been instrumental in bringing the outbreak under control.
He says he would like that level of testing to continue for a while longer.
"When we're transitioning down through the levels, that enhanced level of testing gives us all good confidence that there aren't other cases going undetected."
He says Cabinet's decision making on alert levels is based on more than just the number of cases.
"We're always looking at the nature of the cases and the relationship between them when we're making those alert level decisions."
Further details
Hipkins says bus drivers and drivers of small transport vehicles - who are required to wear masks - could be fined if found not to be complying with the rules but the first step is to inform and encourage people to comply.
"We are seeing high levels of compliance but if there are issues where there are persistent pockets of non compliance then of course we have options to take action," he says, adding that they would also look into whether there are any issues with supply of masks to employees.
Hipkins says they are constantly looking at ways in which they could help students trying to earn NCEA qualifications, including the potential for summer catch-up periods.
"We've already delayed the exams ... we've not made any further decisions about delaying exams at this point."
He continued his pleas to parents to send their children to school, saying schools were informed on how to keep students safe, and children not at school would risk losing out on valuable learning time.
A study published today suggests there would be 20 percent fewer deaths from Covid-19 if steroids were part of standard care for critically ill patients.
- 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
