New Zealand remains in close contact with health authorities in New South Wales (NSW) as their investigation into the two cases of COVID-19 in the Sydney community continues.
As of this afternoon, no new locally acquired cases have been identified in NSW since the two cases were identified earlier this week. There is no further information on the epidemiological link between the community cases and the border case to whom they are genomically linked.
Information on the range of public health measures in place in NSW is available here: nsw.gov.au/covid-19/news-…
As a precautionary measure, Quarantine Free Travel from NSW to New Zealand was paused from 11:59pm last night and this pause remains in place.
This travel pause prevents anyone from travelling to New Zealand from NSW. It also includes anyone who has been in NSW and who plans to depart for New Zealand from another airport eg Brisbane or Melbourne.
The Ministry of Health will continue to closely monitor the situation in NSW this weekend. Another update on the NSW travel pause will be provided tomorrow.
So far, 5214 people who have arrived in New Zealand from NSW since Friday last week have been contacted by health authorities and provided with advice.
One person has been transferred to a managed isolation facility in Christchurch after they were identified by NSW health authorities as a contact of a case. This person attended a location of interest at the same time as one of the two positive cases recently identified in Sydney
The contact is being tested for COVID-19 and the results will be available by tomorrow.
The person is not symptomatic and local public health staff say they have cooperated fully with all requests.
Anyone in New Zealand who has been at any of the locations of interest at the specified times should contact Healthline on 0800 358 5453, immediately self-isolate and be tested.
Information about locations of interest visited by the cases is available on the NSW health website - health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/cov…
A Section 70 notice has been issued under the Health Act with a number of requirements for any person who attended a location of interest - health.govt.nz/our-work/disea…
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The pause on Quarantine-Free Travel between New South Wales and New Zealand will be lifted from 11:59pm tomorrow, Sunday 9 May (New Zealand time).
New Zealand health officials met today to conduct a further assessment of the public health risk from the recently identified COVID-19 community cases in Sydney. It has been determined that the risk to public health in New Zealand remains low.
The Ministry of Health is advising airlines that flights can resume from 11:59pm tomorrow (Sunday 9 May) subject to there being no further significant developments.
There are no new cases of COVID-19 to report in the community in New Zealand today.
There is one new case to report in a recent returnee in our managed isolation facilities, since the Ministry’s last update yesterday.
Three previously reported cases have now recovered. The total number of active cases in New Zealand today is 26.
Our total number of confirmed cases is 2,278.
Globally, there have been 154,815,600 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 3,236,104 deaths, reported to WHO.
Since 1 January 2021, there have been 55 historical cases, out of a total of 462 cases.
NEW BORDER CASE
- One case arrived on 24 April and tested positive around day 12. They have been transferred to a quarantine facility in Auckland.
The Government has announced that Quarantine-Free Travel from New South Wales to New Zealand will be paused while the source of infection of the two cases announced in Sydney in the last two days is investigated.
Whole genome sequencing has linked the case yesterday to a recent returnee who arrived in Australia from the United States. A household contact of yesterday’s case has today returned a positive test.
An epidemiological link has yet to be determined between yesterday’s case and the recent returnee.
There are no new cases of COVID-19 to report in the community in New Zealand today.
There is one new case and three cases being investigated as historical infections to report in recent returnees in managed isolation facilities, since the Ministry’s last update.
One previously reported case has now recovered. The total number of active cases in New Zealand today is 28.
Our total number of confirmed cases is 2,277.
Globally, there have been 153,954,491 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 3,221,052 deaths, reported to WHO.
Since 1 January 2021, there have been 53 historical cases, out of a total of 461 cases.
NEW BORDER CASE
- One case arrived on 26 April and tested positive on day 3. They have been transferred to a quarantine facility in Auckland.
Update on New South Wales community case.
The Ministry of Health’s current assessment is that the public health risk to New Zealand from the New South Wales community case announced today is low.
On that basis the Ministry does not at this stage recommend any change in Quarantine Free Travel between New Zealand and Australia. Information about locations of interest visited by the case is available on the New South Wales health website: health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/cov…
Anyone in New Zealand who has been at any of the locations of interest at the specified times should contact Healthline on 0800 358 5453, self-isolate and be tested as soon as possible.