New Covid-19 case confirmed, unrelated to two cases earlier this week

June 18, 2020

The news comes amid growing disquiet over the bungling of quarantine cases being released on compassionate grounds.

One new Covid-19 case has been announced today, after two cases were previously announced this week.

The man, in his 60s, is currently in a managed isolation facility after arriving from overseas.

It's not connected to the two cases previously announced this week, two women who had arrived from the UK and were granted an exemption to travel from Auckland to Wellington to be with a dying relative.

The man had travelled from Lahore, Pakistan, to Doha, then to Melbourne before arrival in Auckland on June 13.

He wore a mask on each flight, Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield says, but they're working to contact those on board the flight and they'll need to go into isolation as close contacts.

After initially staying in one of the Government's managed isolation facilities, he was transferred to the Jet Park Hotel in Auckland - a quarantine facility - upon developing symptoms during his 14-day isolation period.

Those involved in the transfer were wearing full PPE at the time, Dr Bloomfield says.

He was swabbed on Tuesday and his test returned positive yesterday evening, before the case was officially announced today at 1pm.

His travelling companion has also been taken to the quarantine facility with him.

New Zealand's total number of confirmed and probable cases is now 1507.

27 CLOSE CONTACTS STILL BEING REACHED AFTER TWO PREVIOUS CASES

Health authorities are still working on contacting 27 people who are considered close contacts of the two women diagnosed with Covid-19 earlier this week.

They had arrived from UK and were granted an exemption to visit a dying relative in Wellington, but weren't tested before leaving their isolation facility in Auckland.

Instead, they were only diagnosed with Covid-19 after their arrival in Wellington.

Today Dr Bloomfield said health officials are expanding the number of people being tracked to 364, up from the 320 announced yesterday.

Those contacts include people who were on the same flight as them, and those staying in the same isolation facility.

Twenty-seven are still to be reached, according to Dr Bloomfield.

Another person, a relative of the two women, is currently staying with them in isolation in Wellington.

The two women also had contact with two of their friends when leaving Auckland, after getting lost and needing directions on their way to Wellington.

There was brief physical contact between them, which Dr Bloomfield describes as "an arm around one or both of the women, possibly from the side".

One of those tests has returned negative, but the other is still pending, Dr Bloomfield says. 

A flight attendant who was on their plane has also been tested, but returned a negative result, the Bay of Plenty DHB says.

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