South Auckland man infected with Covid-19 after family member's secret lockdown contact with another infected family

March 1, 2021

One person from Case M's family had contact with an infected person from a different family during the Level 3 lockdown earlier this month, the Prime Minister confirmed on Breakfast today.

It's now become clear how the 21-year-old South Auckland man - Case M - confirmed as having Covid-19 on Saturday, became infected with the virus.

One person from Case M's family had contact with an infected person from a different family during the Level 3 lockdown earlier this month, the Prime Minister confirmed on Breakfast today.

Case M “came to be infected by a family member of theirs who had contact with another family who had Covid-19 during level 3,” Jacinda Ardern said.

The contact was not revealed to contact tracers, Ardern told Breakfast.

“Unfortunately, that contact was not disclosed to our contact tracers before the first family was put into quarantine.”

Case M was infected as a result of family member’s secret level 3 contact with another infected family, Jacinda Ardern said.

“We interviewed them, they did not disclose the contact and of course that contact occurred when it shouldn’t have, at level 3.”

Ardern was confident that authorities now had all of the information.

“We identified the contact [of Case M’s family member] through the most recent family,” she said.

“That means we have gone back to the original family who were already in quarantine to make sure we have all of the information we need.”

“We don’t know if it [the information] was deliberately withheld or if it was oversight.”

“The contact that was had, we have those conversations, but we do double back and re-check, if we have something new that comes to light, we will go and re-interview.”

Ardern did have an expectation that there would be more cases.

“The reason we are in this level three is because of that expectation because we have had a long period – and two household members who have continued on with activity whilst being positive.”

Hunters Plaza, Papatoetoe is a location of interest after Covid-19 affected Case M visited there on February 28.

The Prime Minister reiterated that we were dealing with a virus that kills, a point she made at several times over the weekend as she put Auckland back into Alert Level 3 yesterday morning, with the rest of the country moving up to Alert Level 2.

“We don’t do this lightly, if this gets away on us, people die and so I just want to thank Aucklanders, I know how frustrating it is, but we will get back to where we need to be.”

“Our vaccine rollout is happening simultaneously and that is an extra layer of protection to try and prevent ever being in this situation again.”

SHARE ME

More Stories