No new Covid-19 cases announced today, after three cases earlier this week

June 19, 2020

Dr Ashley Bloomfield provided the update from Wellington on June 19.

Health officials had no new Covid-19 cases to report today, capping a tough week in which three previous cases were announced - ending New Zealand's unique Covid-19-free status.

Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield updated media in a press conference this afternoon. 

The number of confirmed and probable cases remains at 1507.

Approximately 6273 tests were completed yesterday, bringing the total number of tests completed to 327,460.

Another two significant clusters from the country's earlier outbreak - including the Bluff wedding and the Rosewood Rest Home - also closed today, Dr Bloomfield said. One remaining significant cluster, St Margaret's Hospital and Rest Home, is still open.

All of the current cases are linked to those arriving into New Zealand internationally. 

Yesterday, a man in his 60s who had flown into the country on June 13 was announced as New Zealand's third confirmed case this week.

He had travelled from Pakistan, to Doha, then on to Melbourne before arriving in Auckland. Dr Bloomfield said in yesterday's announcement that officials had been working to contact those who had been on board the same flight and that they would need to go into isolation as close contacts.

The man is 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.

Health authorities were yesterday working on contacting 27 people who were considered to be close contacts of those two women.

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

Approximately 401 people are now being followed up with by the Ministry of Health in relation to the incident, none of whom were close contacts. Of that number, 174 have come back negative.

Testing will now be carried out for all people staying in managed isolation facilities on day three and 12 of their 14-day quarantine, officials announced this week.


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