The neighbour of a Auckland woman who tested positive for Covid-19 this week has returned a weak positive result, the Health Ministry has confirmed.
Vincent 106 apartments in Auckland CBD. Photo: RNZ / Nick Monro
There have also been three cases reported in managed isolation today.
In a statement, the ministry said the weak positive case lived in a neighbouring apartment in Vincent St apartments to the student and retail worker who tested positive on Thursday.
"The individual's initial test result was negative, but a subsequent test has today returned a weak positive result. A further test is now being taken. They are currently regarded as a case under investigation.
"Auckland Regional Public Health had already done some initial scoping of this case and will now be doing more detailed work on tracking and tracing any outstanding close contacts."
The Ministry of Health said the person who returned the weak result was already in Auckland's quarantine facility.
The Ministry has released a list of 11 places in central Auckland that were visited by the two community cases diagnosed with Covid-19.
They are calling everyone who visited those places on the same day as the cases to get tested.
The places visited are: Liquor.com, Mezze Bar, The Vincent, Smith and Caughey's department store, Ting Tea, Red Pig restaurant, Starbucks Queen Street, Sunny Town Restaurant, The Gateau House takeaways, the AUT Student Hub at the City Campus WA building, as well as A to Z collection Fashion.
The times and places, as well as instructions for finding testing stations are on the Auckland Regional Public Health Service website.
People wait for tests at the Ellen Melville Centre community testing centre off High Street in Auckland. Photo: RNZ / Liu Chen
There have also been three new cases of Covid-19 reported in New Zealand's managed isolation facilities today.
They include a recent arrival from Romania who landed in New Zealand on 3 November via Qatar and Australia; a traveller from Australia who entered New Zealand on 1 November; and a third case who arrived from the UK on 12 November and tested positive on arrival.
The ministry said there was increased demand for community testing across Auckland, with 5400 tests carried out in the city - more than half of it in general practices - and 6320 completed in New Zealand in total.
"Anyone in the Auckland area, and indeed throughout New Zealand, who has cold or flu symptoms should get a test and stay at home until they receive a negative test result."
The Northern Region Health Coordination Centre said both permanent and pop-up community testing centres reported a busy start to the day.
At Ellen Melville Centre testing centre off High Street, people were coming for a test because they lived or worked in the city or are visiting the CBD. The Northern Region Health Coordination Centre said there were many options for testing across Auckland city.
The total number of active cases remains at 56 and the total number of confirmed cases is now 1643.
The government also confirmed yesterday that it would be making mask-wearing mandatory on all public transport in the Auckland region from Monday.
See RNZ's full coverage of Covid-19
- 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
Read more about the Covid-19 coronavirus:
- See all RNZ Covid-19 news
- Covid-19 symptoms: What they are and how they make you feel
- How to wear a mask
- Touching your Face: Why do we do it and how to stop
- Scientific hand-washing advice to avoid infection
- A timeline: How the coronavirus started, spread and stalled life in New Zealand
- Coronavirus: A glossary of terms
