The Director-General of Health has released more information around the man who left managed isolation following a negative Covid-19 test but tested positive three weeks later having flown from Christchurch to Auckland.
The man had previously arrived from India and completed his 14-day stay in managed isolation, including returning two negative Covid-19 tests, before he fell ill.
He tested positive for Covid-19 during the weekend and has been genomically linked to other cases who had arrived from India on the same flight.
Dr Ashley Bloomfield said today 85 close contacts of the man were identified from the chartered flight he took from Christchurch to Auckland.
Dr Bloomfield said 29 contacts have been tested so far from the front nine rows of the plane after the man sat in the fourth row for the flight. Of those people, only one has returned a positive Covid-19 test but the Ministry of Health believes it to be an old infection, not caught from the man.
The remaining people on the flight are in the process of being contacted and will be tested as appropriate.
The man's case is still being investigated to confirm if it is an historical case and whether it has already been reported as a case in India.
Two of the man's family members also tested positive for Covid-19 on the weekend, while close contacts are in self-isolation.
SHARE ME