The Ministry of Health (MoH) has announced there are five new cases of COVID-19 to report today in recent returnees in managed isolation facilities.  

There are no cases of COVID-19 to report in the community today.

Two previously reported historical cases, associated with the Playa Zahara fishing vessel, have now been reclassified as ‘not a case’. Neither case meets the current COVID-19 case definition.

As a result, these cases have been removed from our total cases count and our historical cases tally.

The number of active cases in New Zealand is 46.

Since 1 January 2021, there have been 107 historical cases, out of a total of 694 cases.

The seven-day rolling average of new cases detected at the border is five.    

Our total number of confirmed cases is 2,511.

Update on patient from Fiji

Health authorities have approved a formal request for the transfer and treatment of a patient from Fiji who has tested positive for COVID-19.

The Ministry’s approval follows agreement by the metro-Auckland DHBs to treat the patient, and a transfer plan approved by a Medical Officer of Health from the Auckland Regional Public Health Service and agreed to by New Zealand Air Ambulance Service.

The plan takes into consideration the safety of both the patient and the crew who will be transporting the patient.

The metro-Auckland DHBs are working in an extremely busy and dynamic environment, due in part to higher than normal presentations of RSV and winter illness. The receiving hospital is yet to be confirmed, and will be determined by the treatment required by the patient and the capacity in the respective Intensive Care Units (ICUs).

There are appropriate isolation and infection prevention and control plans in place at all the metro-DHB hospitals to accommodate this patient.

The approval follows a request for specialist treatment in New Zealand. Requests for medical treatment in New Zealand from overseas jurisdictions, particularly in the Pacific, are common. Every request is considered, carefully taking into account factors such as the clinical needs of the patient, whether safe transport can be arranged and the availability of care in New Zealand.

While this request was initially declined for capacity reasons, the metro-Auckland DHB ICUs have now confirmed that treatment can be provided. The region will continue to work closely together to manage capacity issues.

The medevac flight left this morning and is due to return this afternoon.

The Ministry of Health has an obligation to protect a patient’s privacy and is not able to provide further details.

Taranaki Update

Daily sampling from the New Plymouth wastewater treatment plant, along with further samples from sites around the Taranaki region continues this week. There have been no subsequent detections of the virus to date.

Community testing is also continuing. Between Wednesday 21 July and Tuesday 27 July 1,082 swabs have been taken in Taranaki, with all returning negative results to date.

Thank you to everyone who has so far taken a test and we continue to encourage anyone in Taranaki with symptoms to be tested. We are also recommending that any anyone who has recently been in Australia who is now in Taranaki to get tested even if they don’t have symptoms.

Additional testing capacity remains open in New Plymouth to support potential demand. Anyone with symptoms consistent with COVID-19 should call Healthline (0800 358 5453) for advice on getting a test. For Taranaki testing locations please visit the Taranaki DHB website.

Mattina Update

The Mattina remains in quarantine in Bluff and is inaccessible by the public.

One of the COVID-19 positive mariners aboard the Mattina, currently in quarantine at South Port, was yesterday afternoon transferred to Southland Hospital and is currently in a stable condition.

The transfer was done in a carefully planned and co-ordinated way, using all appropriate Infection, Prevention and Control protocols, working with St John Ambulance and other hospital staff, under the guidance of Southern DHB Medical Officers of Health.

Playa Zahara

The Playa Zahara has now departed Lyttelton Port. All crew members have recovered and a deep clean on the vessel has been carried out.

Viking Bay

15 of the 20 crew members are now back aboard the Viking Bay, which remains in quarantine at Queens Wharf in Wellington.

Five of the crew members remain in managed isolation in Wellington.

Testing

The total number of COVID-19 tests processed by laboratories to date is 2,465,811.

On Wednesday, 6,486 tests were processed across New Zealand. In addition, 5,022 tests processed in Waikato between 17 May and 10 June have been entered into the system. All tests initially processed and recorded manually since Waikato DHB’s cyber attack have now been entered into the database.

The seven-day rolling average is 6,557.

For all testing locations nationwide visit the Healthpoint website.

It’s pleasing to see testing in recent days have remained steady.

Testing in the community remains one of the best ways to ensure the potential for COVID-19 in the community is detected as soon as possible.

Please continue to get tested if you develop any symptoms and stay home from work if you’re feeling unwell.

NZ COVID Tracer

NZ COVID Tracer now has 2,907,317 registered users.

Poster scans have reached 314,023,403 and users have created 12,299,319 manual diary entries.

There have been 578,111 scans in the last 24 hours to midday yesterday.