Health
1News

Covid-19: Genome sequencing used to find out how St Lukes mall worker got infected

August 21, 2020

The worker was initially linked to the Auckland cluster but is now being reinvestigated.

Genome sequencing is underway to determine how a worker at an Auckland shopping mall caught Covid-19.

The case involving a staff member at St Lukes Shopping Centre was originally classified as being part of the wider Auckland cluster.

However, it is now being reinvestigated, with Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield saying yesterday any link was still being  checked.

The Auckland District Health Board said the employee worked 'a number of days' while infectious, but didn't mingle with members of the public.

In a statement released yesterday, ADHB said there "has been very limited public exposure because of Alert Level 3".

"There is a very small possibility that members of the public may have been exposed to the virus from 10.30 to noon on Wednesday 12 August, before the majority of shops closed for Alert Level 3. This person visited the Countdown for ten minutes at around 11.15 am on this morning," the statement read.

"While the employee was also in the Centre during Level 3 on the afternoon of August 12, and on August 14, 15 and 17, there was no interaction with the public."

The Director-General of Health says the person was at St Lukes mall on 12 August.

ADHB say the employee’s close contacts have also been identified and are in self-isolation.

The case is one of two not linked to the 78-person strong Auckland cluster - the other being a maintenance worker at Auckland's Rydge's Hotel. 

SHARE ME

More Stories