Auckland bus driver tests positive for Covid-19

An Auckland bus driver has tested positive for Covid-19.

The driver works on the Northern Express service.

Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield says there are no close contacts from the bus trips.

The trips were on Thursday the 3rd and Friday the 4th of September between 5:30am and 1pm, and 4pm and 6:15pm.

The driver was not symptomatic on these trips and wore a mask and gloves.

“There is taping on the bus which creates a gap of at least 1.5 metres between any passengers getting on or off the bus and the driver," Bloomfield says.

"However, as part of a cautious approach we are working with Auckland Transport and using Hop Card data to identify people travelling on the buses the driver was on.

"People on the buses don’t have to self-isolate but need to watch for symptoms."

Auckland Transport has confirmed there were 319 passengers who travelled on this service across the two days between Hibiscus Coast/Albany and Auckland city centre.

The news comes as there are six new cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand today.

All of the new cases are in the community and linked to the Mt Roskill church group.

Bloomfield says many of those in the fellowship have been tested, but because cases are still emerging within that wider group, all members of the church are being asked to be retested.

He says anyone who has had contact with members of the fellowship should be tested as well, even if they don’t have symptoms.

Four of the new cases are part of a group of 14 that are associated with a new event, that is linked with the church. Bloomfield has called it a series of "bereavement events".

All of the close contacts from those events are now isolating and have been contacted.

Bloomfield has confirmed one of the cases as the student at St Dominic's Catholic college. That student went to school last Friday but left early after starting to feel unwell and any close contacts are being identified.

Testing for the wider school community will be undertaken.