Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced Auckland will once again move to Alert Level 3 restrictions, this time for seven days, after another new community Covid-19 case this evening.
The restrictions will come into place at 6am tomorrow morning and the rest of the country will move to Alert Level 2 at the same time.
It comes after a new community case was announced this evening.
The case, known as Case M, is an older sibling of a Papatoetoe High School student who was a casual plus contact.
The student had returned three recent negative tests and is asymptomatic.
Ardern said due to the fact the new case cannot currently be linked to the current Auckland cluster the decision to move alert levels had to be made.
However, she says officials think there is a strong chance the new case will be linked to the cluster.
The case is a 21-year-old male and is the sibling of a Papatoetoe High School student who has not tested positive for the virus.
The new cases mother has also returned a weak positive for Covid-19.
"Public health officials are undertaking interviews to help establish how this new case was infected,” the Ministry of Health announced earlier this evening.
"Testing of the household of five is underway. Test results for the other family members are expected this evening."
The Ministry of Health says Case M developed symptoms on Tuesday 23 February.
"As a result, the person is regarded as being potentially infectious from Sunday 21 February.
"The person was tested yesterday (Friday 26 February) and the result was received this afternoon," the Ministry says.
The Ministry of Health has released a list of locations visited by tonight’s new community case of Covid-19 in Auckland.
The locations include a CityFitness gym, a Burger King and a Pak'nSave.
The Papatoetoe gym sent an email alert to members tonight outlining times and dates visited, which are: Saturday Feb 20th – 12:20pm – 1:45pm and Friday Feb 26th – 3:20pm – 4:40 pm.
Burger King Highland Park was also visited by the person on February 25.
Click here for the full list of new locations.
SHARE ME