No active community Covid cases in NZ

The Ministry of Health is reporting three new imported cases of Covid in the country, but the last six community cases from the recent outbreak have recovered

7th Oct 20, 1:33pm by David Hargreaves

As Auckland prepares to move to Covid-19 Alert Level 1 at 11.59pm on Wednesday, the Ministry of Health is reporting there are now no active community cases of Covid in New Zealand.

This follows the last six community cases now being officially designated as recovered. The last new community case had been reported on September 25.

Imported cases are continuing though. And there were three new cases reported on Wednesday, two coming from Ethiopia and one from Dubai. All were detected in isolation.

This leaves 37 active Covid cases in the country - all of them now imported ones.

Health Minister Chris Hipkins said the recovery of the last of the community cases was "a big milestone".

"New Zealanders have once again through their collective actions squashed the virus. The systems that have been developed and strengthened since our first wave of Covid-19 have worked very effectively to chase down the virus, isolate it, and eliminate it.

“It’s really good news, but as always we cannot sit back. Constant vigilance and team work, with everyone playing their part to ensure we stay on top of the virus, needs to be our new normal for some time to come."

Since August 11, there have been 186 community cases of Covid-19 reported - 179 people linked to the Auckland August cluster, six people linked to the Christchurch returnees group, and a worker from the managed isolation facility at the Rydges.

Hipkins said it was expected that the Auckland August cluster will officially ‘close’ in four weeks – which is when there have been no new cases for two incubation periods from when all cases are considered recovered.

This was the release issued by the Ministry of Health on Wednesday:

There are three new cases of COVID-19 to report from managed isolation in New Zealand today. There are no new cases in the community.

The first two cases reported today arrived from Ethiopia via Dubai on September 23. They have been in managed isolation at the Ibis in Hamilton and tested positive at routine testing around day 12 of their stay.

The third case reported today arrived from Dubai on September 29. They have been staying in managed isolation at the Four Points Hotel and have been transferred to the Auckland quarantine facility upon returning a positive test result.

Our total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 is 1,505, which is the number we report to the World Health Organization.

Nine previously reported cases are now considered to have recovered, which include the six remaining active cases from the recent community outbreak.

Our total number of active cases is now 37 - all imported cases. There are no active community cases of COVID-19 remaining.

The Auckland August cluster will officially close when there have been no new cases for two incubation periods from when all cases complete isolation.

One person remains on a ward in Middlemore hospital with COVID-19 today.

Yesterday our laboratories processed 5,334 tests, bringing the total number of tests completed to date to 990,973.

NZ COVID Tracer

There are now 2,298,978 users registered on NZ COVID Tracer.

The app has recorded a total of 85,869,739 poster scans, and users have created 3,647,904 manual diary entries.

NZ COVID Tracer is the fastest and easiest way to keep a detailed record of where you have been and who you have seen.

Continuing to use the app is particularly important as we move down alert levels, where restrictions on going out or gatherings lift.

Being able to trace your contacts if you have been exposed to COVID-19 is critical to being able to quickly isolate any future cases that may emerge, and stop the virus spreading in the community.

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14 Comments

by sharetrader | 7th Oct 20, 1:56pm 1602032177

wont be a reciprocal travel bubble with NSW any time soon they have mystery community transmission still circulating
LATEST UPDATES
8.44am
NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant has revealed more details about the three new coronavirus cases identified in western Sydney today.
The three cases will be counted in Thursday's numbers. They are:
A woman in her 50s from Camden local government area
A man in his 50s from Wollondilly local government area
A woman in her 50s from Parramatta local government area
There was "no obvious source" of the infection in the Camden woman, Dr Chant said.
Interviews with the woman had been completed and a small number of close contacts had been advised to self-isolate. Contact-tracing interviews with the other two cases are ongoing.
Dr Chant said one of the cases lives in an area where evidence of the virus was found in sewage testing.
NSW Health will provide advice on any venues which the three people attended while infectious later today, Dr Chant said.
"We did have a good run of 10 or 11 days [without local cases], and my expectation is that will happen again," Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.
"My expectation is we'll be able to get on top of these three cases, although I have yet to get further updates on the progress [the health department] has made in the last few hours.
"It's fair to say that this is a good wake-up call, but we're living in a pandemic; we're managing it well. But we will never be out of the woods until there's a vaccine."

by sharetrader | 7th Oct 20, 3:29pm 1602037791

maybe we can do a travel bubble with QLD, kiwis love the GC
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says the new NSW cases reset the clock, and the southern state will still need to clear two incubation periods with no mystery cases before it is safe to reopen the borders.

by Apex Andy | 7th Oct 20, 2:03pm 1602032586

Thanks for repaying our sacrifices during the lockdown by moving home ownership further from our grasps Jacinda.

by HW2 | 7th Oct 20, 2:43pm 1602034986

Except that interest rates are the lowest they've ever been

by realterms | 7th Oct 20, 2:58pm 1602035905

Turns out, when you buy a home, you have to pay both the interest and the principal eventually. I agree that the former is less of an issue, but that's only half the battle.

by Apex Andy | 7th Oct 20, 3:09pm 1602036566

Maybe you are not aware but if I pay say just a teeny one million for a house (insane but true) I repay the interest and the principle. The interest may be low now but in 10 or 20 years it could go to 20% or more of which I have no control. Any one with even a slight clue can see that this is a scary risk not worth going near. Blinkered people are buying now. Dangerous game I should not be forced to be part of.

by GV 27 | 7th Oct 20, 3:48pm 1602038927

Weird how this was also true in 2017 and yet Ardern used it to relentless attack National for inaction.

The median house price in Auckland was $125K lower then.

by Henry_Tull | 7th Oct 20, 2:57pm 1602035827

Any idea how the outbreak started, how the outbreak got through the border, you know, so it doesn't happen again & we can help those responsible work better next time.

by iconoclast | 7th Oct 20, 4:52pm 1602042748

HT - Did you really want to know?

At the beginning in March 2020 there were 5 presenters at the 1:00 pm announcements. Ardern, Bloomfield, Robertson, McElnay, and director of Civil Defence. Over the weeks they all had a go. Remebering of course Minister of Health David Clark made a couple of appearances. Then Clark was stood down and Chris Hipkins was promoted to Minister of Health. That was followed by a further re-organisation with the appointment of Darryn Webb as director of Border and MIQ security together with Megan Woods as Minister reponsible for MIQ

That is 7 people with their fingers in the pire excluding David Clark
Then their are separate Immigration NZ, plus Customs plus Maritime Border Control, plus Airways Border control agencies

Now they propose a Border Control Agency to co-ordinate Border controls. Note the use of the word Agency

Compare the Australia's single Border Force

The Australian Border Force (ABF) is a law enforcement agency, part of the Department of Home Affairs, responsible for offshore and onshore border control enforcement, investigations, compliance and detention operations in Australia. The ABF was established on 1 July 2015 merging the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service with the immigration detention and compliance functions of the then Department of Immigration and Border Protection.

The ABF operates under the Australian Border Force Act 2015 with broadened legislative powers including the introduction of sworn officers. A new uniform was introduced and following the transition there was an increase in the number of officers authorised to carry firearms. As of 2016, approximately 15% of the Force is firearms trained which will increase by 2020 to no less than 25%

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Border_Force

by Henry_Tull | 7th Oct 20, 6:01pm 1602046872

Yep, nothing like dressing for success.

Shoutout to the part time health minister.
Question: who is more stupid?
The person who thought running the position as a part time health minister in times pandemic was A1, first claas or,
The idiot who accepted the part time gig?

Funny thing about the over use of lockdown, Parker ran the whole thing unlegal for the first couple of weeks.
What a winner, winner chicken dinner he is?. Mind you he has carried his form over to farming in Southland, over reach beyond the local regional council.
But why not, let's him & his Wellington workers control the means of production.

by Andrewj | 7th Oct 20, 6:22pm 1602048166

Kendrick on the b/s

https://brandnewtube.com/watch/dr-zac-uncensored-with-dr-malcolm-kendri…

by fat pat | 7th Oct 20, 7:24pm 1602051897

Two countries Sweden and New Zealand. Two ostensibly successful outcomes, only for one of those countries it's all fake. Spoiler alert - Sweden's success is authentic.

by sharetrader | 7th Oct 20, 7:34pm 1602052490

yes it is going well in sweden
Sweden, Which Refused COVID Lockdown, Says Restrictions Will Remain For 'At Least Another Year'
Health officials also believe the recent rise in new infections may be due to people returning to work after the summer break, despite the government's continued recommendation for residents to work from home,
https://www.newsweek.com/coronavirus-sweden-new-cases-rise-restrictions…

by dcnbwz | 8th Oct 20, 5:14am 1602087279

There's a common theme of supporters of neoliberalism, National, right leaning that go for the Sweden argument. Sweden was and is in trouble.