A resident of the apartment complex at the centre of Auckland's latest Covid-19 community case is concerned about the recent evacuation of a managed isolation facility next door where people staying there were forced outside onto the street.
The person spoke to 1 NEWS outside Vincent Residences this afternoon.
They were concerned about what they said was a recent evacuation from the Grand Millenium MIQ facility next door, during which he said people who were in the facility were standing outside their apartment building.
Stuff reports the Grand Millenium Hotel was evacuated due to a fire alarm on Monday evening this week.
Today's community case became symptomatic on the same day as the fire alarm, so it's highly unlikely they caught it from the event.
This latest infected person has no link to the border or managed isolation facilities.
Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfied this afternoon asked residents and recent visitors to the building at 106 Vincent Street to seek a Covid-19 test and self-isolate until results come back.
One resident told 1 NEWS there has been no communication from officials or the building's body corporate, and she feared many in the building did not know about the new case.
Residents told 1 NEWS there were no signs inside notifying people. There is a visible Covid Tracer QR code on the entry door, but a person that lives there said they did not use it because it was their home.
One of the residents said it would be good to know what floor and part of the building the new case lived on, so that they could better protect themselves.
A female resident said they heard about the case in the news, and had rung Healthline who gave them a priority code for a test. She was told by Healthline a number of people from the building were expected for testing.
Another resident, who had just moved into the building, echoed earlier comments that they have not been informed of anything by building management. "We haven't been told anything," yet another resident said.
The new mystery community case is an Auckland student who became symptomatic on November 9 and were tested the next day.
They worked at the A-Z Collection store at 61 High Street from November 8 till November 11.
Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said there was "not enough information to make judgement calls on alert levels".
Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield this afternoon said the case means anyone recently connected with two Auckland locations will need to get tested and self-isolate.
"At this time as a very precautionary measure we are asking people who visited A-Z Collection at 61 High Street and/or who is a resident at or a visitor to the Vincent Residency at 106 Vincent St in central Auckland to seek a Covid-19 test and self-isolate until results come back.
"Dates of interest are anyone who has visited those two locations, or who live at the residence, are from Saturday November 7 to today Thursday November 12," Bloomfield said.
The positive test result was confirmed this morning and the person has been taken to Jet Park Hotel quarantine facility in Auckland.
It comes after a third case is now connected to the cluster, who dined at the restaurant on November 6.
The person lives alone and hasn’t had many outings recently, Bloomfield says.
The person is a student at AUT but hasn’t been on campus since mid-October.
Auckland Public Regional Health Service is currently interviewing the positive case and identifying close contacts.
A second new community case today in Wellington is linked to the November cluster involving New Zealand Defence Force staff.
This case is a close contact of "Case B" in the cluster. This new case is being referred to by the Ministry of Health as "Case C".
Bloomfield says Case C had met with Case B for lunch in Wellington at the Little Penang restaurant on The Terrace last Friday afternoon.
On developing symptoms on Saturday, they had a Covid-19 test and isolated at home.
The test returned a negative result, however Case C was moved to quarantine at the Grand Mercure in Wellington.
A second test returned a positive result yesterday.
Push notifications were sent out on Sunday for Little Penang The Terrace, visited by Case B and Case C.
Anyone who visited the restaurant between 1pm and 4pm on Friday have been asked to take a test if they feel symptomatic.
Household contacts for Case C are in isolation and have returned negative test results.
All identified close contacts of the new case are isolating.
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