Seven Auckland police officers are self-isolating after tending to a woman who tested positive for Covid-19 after visiting an Auckland hospital.
The woman presented at Middlemore Hospital's emergency department on Thursday for an issue unrelated to Covid-19 when she submitted to routine testing.
She left before receiving the results of her Covid test, which came back positive later that night.
She was asymptomatic and unvaccinated. She is now isolating.
Thirty patients who were at the hospital's emergency department and short-stay section at the time are also isolating.
All staff who were in the emergency department and adult short-stay area were equipped in full PPE gear, including N95 face masks and goggles.
The risk of exposure to staff is deemed low and none have been stood down.
New Zealand Police Association president Chris Cahill told 1News officers on the frontline are "putting themselves at risk every day and that, unfortunately, means they could possibly get infected".
He said the officers are "all fine and none of them are showing any symptoms" at this stage "but we'll obviously wait for that day 5 test to make sure that comes back negative".
Cahill said the officers involved will do an initial test, before working with the Ministry of Health to determine if they'll be required to carry out day two and day five testing.
"Some of that will be determined by how they're responding and if there's any symptoms, et cetera, but hopefully, by day five, they can return to normal."
Superintendent Jill Rogers said in a statement that the Counties Manukau officers "had dealings with this individual and another family member" the morning before she presented at the hospital.
"During this interaction, face coverings were worn by our officers at all times," Rogers said.
"Following advice from health officials, seven officers were stood down last night as a precautionary approach due to being in close proximity with these individuals.
"Police will follow further advice from health officials around when these officers can return to work."
Cahill said while the officers are "obviously pretty frustrated" as they "want to be out there doing their job and having to self-isolate, and then they have the whole issue of protecting their families as well".
"It's a real inconvenience but it's the nature of where we're living at the moment."
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