Auckland Airport worker Covid-19 case cleans 'red zone' planes, has been fully vaccinated, Ardern says

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the Auckland Airport worker who tested positive for Covid-19 today is part of the cleaning staff on planes coming from red zone countries known to have outbreaks.

Ardern also stated the cleaner has been fully vaccinated “quite early on in the campaign”.

“You have to remember the vaccine is 95 per cent effective at reducing symptomatic onset of Covid-19 so it’s still possible to get Covid-19 but you are not likely to get as sick, this worker is not very unwell so it’s doing its job,” Ardern said at a media stand-up this afternoon.

The positive case connected to the border comes one day after the opening of the trans-Tasman travel bubble with Australia.

Ardern reassured the public that the case won’t affect the travel bubble and Health Minister Andrew Little has spoken to his Australian counterpart about the border-related case.

"We accept there will be cases and that is part of our (NZ and Australia's) journey together, for both sides we are always looking for clear connections to the border and in this case there is."

The cleaner was tested on April 12 and again on April 19 as part of routine testing, the positive result was picked up in yesterday's Covid-19 test.

Australian Health Minister Greg Hunt said the medical expert panel charged with decision-making around Covid-19 had confidence in NZ's management of the virus.

"We've seen them deal with the inevitable outbreaks and there will be other days when there are cases in Australia.

"We know how to deal with this. New Zealand knows how to deal with this," Hunt said.

According to the Ministry of Health, usual protocols of isolating the border case and contact tracing their movements are underway.

There are no other new cases in managed isolation or in the community announced today.