Thread by @covid19nz

There are 21 new positive cases of COVID-19 in the community, taking our total number of confirmed cases associated with the current Auckland community outbreak to 51.

All cases have been, or are being, transferred to quarantine facilities under strict infection prevention and control procedures, including the use of full PPE.

Of the 21 new cases, 18 are in Auckland and 3 are in Wellington – one of which we reported yesterday.

Investigations into the source of these cases is underway.

21 cases are now confirmed as part of the Auckland cluster, with the remaining 30 under investigation to confirm linkage to the outbreak. Initial assessment shows in most cases there is a link.

Public health staff are rapidly interviewing cases to establish how the new cases were infected and to determine further details of their movements. We will continue to release this information as it becomes available.

In addition to these community cases, there are 3 new cases to report in recent returnees in our managed isolation facilities. The total number of confirmed cases is 93, with 51 community cases, and 42 border-related cases.

⏺ Whole Genome Sequencing

ESR continues to run whole genome sequencing from samples taken from new cases.

They have completed sequencing for 29 of these cases, including the three Wellington cases reported yesterday. All are genomically linked to the Auckland cluster.

⏺ Contract tracing

Public health staff across New Zealand continue to contact trace, with focus on higher risk locations.
The number of contacts has increased significantly. This is something we expected as we identify more contacts and test in large numbers.

As of 10am today, 5,065 individual contacts have been identified – and this number will increase throughout the day, as records are fully processed. We expect another 5,000 contacts by the end of the day.

The majority of contacts are located in the Auckland and Waikato regions, with a small proportion located in other areas throughout the rest of North Island and South Island.

As of 10am today, 1,982 contacts are located in the Auckland and Waikato regions, 266 contacts located throughout the rest of New Zealand The location of the remaining contacts is still being established.

⏺ Locations of interest

Public health officials are working around the clock to gather further details of case movements.

This is a fast-moving situation, and we need to ensure we have correct information which can take time to confirm.

Contact tracers are often dealing with people who are stressed and some people can find it difficult to recall where they’ve been when they are under pressure.

We want to assure people across Aotearoa that, while it can take some time to gather this information, our contact tracing teams are working as quickly as possible.

The list of locations is updated on the Ministry of Health’s website as soon as information becomes available: health.govt.nz/our-work/disea…

Push notification alerts are being sent to people who scanned in using the COVID-19 Tracer App at locations during the relevant times.

⏺ Testing

Get tested if you have been at a location of interest at the specific times as mentioned on the Ministry of Health website, or if you have cold and flu symptoms.

For all other New Zealanders – your best protection, right now, is to stay home.

Yesterday, 41,464 tests were processed across New Zealand.

In the past week, almost 2% of New Zealand’s population (92,638 tests) has been tested for COVID-19, and more than 3% of Auckland’s population.

We’d like to thank New Zealanders for their patience at sites while there is high demand. We would also like to thank our testing staff across the country for stepping up again.

These staff are working tirelessly at the frontline of our COVID-19 response, in high-stress environments, and making personal sacrifices to keep our communities safe.

Yesterday testing centres in Auckland had another record day with 31,000 swabs taken across Auckland yesterday, with almost 10,000 at community testing centres and around 21,000 at general practice and urgent care clinics.

This is double the number of swabs at the height of the outbreak in August last year.

There are 14 community testing centres available for testing across Auckland today, including two new pop-up community testing centres at Warkworth and Takanini.

Community testing sites also remain open in Coromandel Township, Thames, and Hamilton – and an additional centre was stood up in Tokoroa yesterday afternoon.

Yesterday, Waikato DHB’s laboratory processed 3,342 tests and all returned a negative result.

In Wellington, around 2,500 people were tested yesterday, and new testing sites continue to open.
Today, a pop-up site at Sky Stadium opened at 9am – it will remain open until 9pm.

A pop-up site has also opened at Whitireia Polytechnic in Porirua at 10am and will remain open until 5pm.

Additionally, Sky Stadium and Wellington’s other pop-up sites at Te Papa, Riverbank Carpark in Lower Hutt, Cannons Creek Porirua, and Hataitai Park – and most of sites will be open between 9am and 9pm today, tomorrow, and Monday.

All DHBs are ensuring there is good access to testing across the regions.

Significant demand for testing is expected again today and queues are already building. People should prepare to be waiting for some time.

Please wear a mask, take food and water with you, take a book to read or something to watch, and scan in when at sites. And please be kind to our hard-working testing staff.

For testing locations nationwide, visit the Healthpoint website – at healthpoint.co.nz.

⏺ Wastewater

Anyone who has been at a location of interest at the relevant time or is symptomatic and is in the Warkworth area is asked to get tested after COVID-19 was strongly detected in wastewater samples collected from Warkworth on Tuesday.

A pop-up testing centre has been set up at 77 Morrison Drive – and is open until 5pm. People are asked to call ahead on 09 425 8585.

The wastewater catchment area at Warkworth is 3,500 people. Extra samples will be taken from Warkworth and Snells Beach today and tomorrow.

ESR is now testing wastewater at 41 sites across the country, covering 3.7 million New Zealanders. Of the 41 sites, 13 are in Auckland and 4 are in Wellington. Further sites are also being added.

COVID-19 was also detected in wastewater taken from a sample from Moa Point in Wellington yesterday while samples taken from other sites in Wellington at Porirua, Seaview and Karori were negative.

There continues to be COVID-19 detected in wastewater in the Auckland region based on samples which were taken on Thursday. This includes the Waitakere region, the North Shore and Eastern Auckland.

The virus was also newly detected from Southern Regional Auckland (which includes Middlemore Hospital).

ESR expects to receive further samples later today from Auckland, Wellington and Coromandel.

There have been no unexpected detections to report from wastewater samples taken from other areas around the country.

⏺ Metro Auckland Hospitals

The North Shore Hospital Emergency Department continues to be closed for until further notice with ambulances being diverted to other Auckland EDs. The Hospital is open to direct primary care medical and surgical admissions with a referral from a GP.

On site staff testing is now in place at North Shore Hospital (for both symptomatic and asymptomatic staff). As at 6.30am this morning 829 Waitemata DHB staff had undergone testing at both community centres and on site.

All returned results were negative, with 208 results still pending.

We have identified 137 staff who were potentially in contact with the positive patient at North Shore Hospital. 84 of these have returned negative results.

Of the patients who were in affected areas at the same time as the positive patient, 20 of these are still in hospital and all have been swabbed and their test results are all negative.

Public health officials are closely monitoring the situation and additional support is available for hospitals across Metro Auckland, if needed.