The Ministry of Health’s current assessment is that the public health risk to New Zealand from the Melbourne 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 Victoria.
The Ministry’s current assessment is based on information provided by Victorian Health authorities that there is a likely link to the border through the recent time spent in managed isolation in South Australia, a limited period when the individual was in the community while
infectious – since May 6, and relatively few locations of interest. Victorian Health authorities are following up contacts at a workplace from May 5.
Information about locations of interest visited by the case is available on Victoria’s Department of Health website: coronavirus.vic.gov.au/exposure-sites…
Individuals in Australia who were at a location of interest at the specified times are required to follow Victoria’s health advice regarding isolation and testing. Anyone who has been at a location of interest cannot travel to NZ from Australia within 14 days of exposure.
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.
The Ministry will be requesting airlines provide this message to be communicated to anyone flying to New Zealand from Victoria in the next 24 hours. The Ministry will also be contacting recent arrivals from Melbourne and Victoria since May 6 providing the same advice.
The Ministry will remain in close contact with its Australian counterparts as the situation evolves.
Anyone planning to travel to Melbourne and Victoria should take into account that advice from health authorities could change at any time and be prepared for their travel plans
to be disrupted.
An update is expected tomorrow, later in the day, based on results of additional testing and a further public health assessment by Victoria’s health officials.
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QUARANTINE-FREE TRAVEL UPDATE
The Ministry of Health has confirmed that the public health risk to New Zealand remains low following further discussions with Victoria state health officials this evening.
At this stage, the Ministry’s recommendation is that Quarantine Free Travel between New Zealand and the state of Victoria can continue. No further community cases have been identified in Victoria.
Health officials in Victoria continue to undertake contact tracing relating to the case announced yesterday. All initial test results from contacts are negative.
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.
The seven-day rolling average of new cases detected at the border is two.
Two previously reported cases have now recovered. The total number of active cases in New Zealand today is 22.
Our total number of confirmed cases is 2,287.
Globally, there have been 158,651,638 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 3,299,764 deaths, reported to WHO.
Since 1 January 2021, there have been 59 historical cases, out of a total of 471 cases.
There are no new cases of COVID-19 to report in the community in New Zealand today.
There are also no new cases to report in recent returnees in our managed isolation facilities, since the Ministry’s last update yesterday.
The seven-day rolling average of new cases detected at the border is three.
Two previously reported cases have now recovered. The total number of active cases in New Zealand today is 24.
Our total number of confirmed cases is 2,287.
Globally, there have been 157,973,438 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 3,288,455 deaths, reported to WHO.
Since 1 January 2021, there have been 60 historical cases, out of a total of 471 cases.
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.