Bloomfield details 'multiple attempts' to get in touch with KFC worker who says she was never told to isolate

March 2, 2021

Last night Case L asked for an apology from the Prime Minister, claiming the family has received online abuse.

Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield again outlined the "multiple attempts" to get in touch with a KFC worker and her family after she last night told media she was never told to isolate.

The Botany Downs KFC worker, known as Case L, last week went to work shortly before testing positive for Covid-19.

Yesterday she told Newshub she was never told to isolate at home despite health officials and the Prime Minister stating otherwise.

She also asked for an apology from Jacinda Ardern, claiming the family has received online abuse.

At today's 1pm press briefing, Bloomfield was asked if he had proof health officials had told the family to seek Covid-19 tests and isolate, due to close contact links with a Papatoetoe High School student who tested positive for the virus.

"I don’t have the details of the communications the public health unit would have had, however I am aware all members of the school community members got three letters — 14, 17th and third on 19th," he said.

"Having seen the content of those letters, it was very clear about what the expectations were on families.

"I can also say that with this particular family and with all the families with students that hadn’t been tested by the time we got around to last Monday there had been multiple attempts to communicate with both that family and others including phone calls, texts and efforts to get alternative phone numbers to contact them."

Earlier, Ardern said she had looked back at the communication with the woman, known as case L, who is a member of a household which included a Papatoetoe High School student who tested positive on February 23.

“There were emails sent from the school, in the order of 15 text messages and phone calls. I cannot answer whether those were received. Certainly you can see attempts were made.

“I think rather than getting into a back and forth on that, we’ll do our bit and see what can be done to improve on our side.

“The message is the same for everyone: If you’re sick please get a test.

“The simple message remains the same: If we reach out and ask family members to get tested, please do that as soon as possible because it does save everyone a world of pain.”

Seven Sharp asks the PM if there should be repercussions for those who break the rules.

Case L is a member of a household where a Papatoetoe High School student tested positive on February 23.

Health officials say the whole household should have been isolating while test results were pending, however Case L went to work on February 22 and 23 at her job at KFC.

Yesterday, Case L told Newshub she wasn't told to self-isolate by anyone, and found the Prime Minister's comments to the contrary "upsetting".

In fact, Case L suggested the advice given to her sister, the Papatoetoe High School student who was the vector of transmission in the family, was completely different.

She says her sister, Case I, received a text message from health officials on February 14 which read: "casual contacts to isolate and test — their families don't need to".

Seeing that, she said, she went to work as usual.

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