There are 11 new cases of Covid-19 in the community reported this afternoon, but none within the Coromandel region.
In a statement released after 1pm, the Ministry of Health said Waikato DHB’s laboratory processed 2590 tests yesterday, and all returned a negative result. This includes testing for the Coromandel Peninsula.
Of the 11 new cases to report today, eight are in Auckland and three are in Wellington, bringing the total number of cases associated with the Auckland Delta outbreak to 31.
Wastewater testing throughout the Coromandel has also not returned any positive Covid-19 results, with the virus only detected in wastewater samples collected on Wednesday from the Waitakere area in Auckland.
However, testing is in progress for a number of samples, most of which will be reported later today.
As of 9am this morning, 1189 individual contacts had been identified, most within the Auckland and Waikato regions, with a proportion located in other areas throughout the rest of North Island and South Island.
As of 9am, 642 contacts were in the Auckland and Waikato regions, 149 contacts were located throughout the rest of New Zealand, and the location of the remaining contacts was still being confirmed.
The total number of contacts across the country is expected to increase as more locations of interest are identified.
Pop-up testing sites remain open in Coromandel Township, Thames, and Hamilton.
Any alert level changes will be announced today at 3pm.
EXTRA INFO
Nineteen cases are now confirmed as part of the Auckland outbreak, with the remaining 12 under investigation to confirm the linkage to the outbreak. Initial assessment shows in most cases there is a plausible link.
Of the 11 new community cases reported today: One case is in a family bubble with a case reported yesterday; One case is in a family bubble with a case reported on Wednesday; One case is in a family bubble with a case also reported on Wednesday; Two of the cases we are reporting today are also in a family bubble together.
All cases have or are being transferred safely to a managed isolation facility, under strict infection prevention and control procedures, including the use of full PPE.
- By KELLEY TANTAU
Health officials are investigating an outbreak of the Covid-19 Delta variant in the community, prompting the government to put the Coromandel Peninsula into an Alert Level 4 lockdown from Tuesday night.
The Coromandel Peninsula and Auckland will be in this level for seven days, the rest of the country will be in it for three days, at least.
Four new community cases have been reported overnight, including an Auckland hospital worker, all linked to a 58-year-old man from Devonport, Auckland, who developed Covid-19 after visiting Coromandel township with his wife on August 13-15.
His wife, who has received two doses of the vaccine, returned a negative Covid-19 test.
On their way home from Coromandel Town, the couple stopped in at Woodturners Cafe on State Highway 2, Mangatarata, just west of Ngatea, on Sunday, August 15 from 12.40pm to 1.25pm.
