Coronavirus: No community cases, five cases in managed isolation

A crumpled face mask discarded after New Zealand successfully beats the covid-19 corona virus allowing public life to return to normal. New Zealand flag proudly in the background.
Photo credit: Getty Images

There are five new cases of COVID-19 in managed isolation facilities and no new community cases.

The Ministry of Health confirmed the new cases in a statement on Thursday.

Two previously reported historical cases, which were associated with the Playa Zahara fishing vessel, have now been reclassified as 'not a case' and neither case meets the current COVID-19 case definition.

"As a result, these cases have been removed from our total cases count and our historical cases tally."

The Playa Zahara has since departed Lyttelton Port. All crew members have recovered and a deep clean on the vessel was carried out.

There are currently 46 active coronavirus cases in New Zealand.

Of the five new cases in managed isolation, two arrived on a direct flight from the United Arab Emirates on July 14. They were both contacts of a case and tested positive on Day 13 of their stay in an Auckland managed isolation facility.

One case travelled from the United Kingdom on July 23. They tested positive during day three of their stay and their full travel history is "to be determined".

Another case travelled on a direct flight from Fiji on July 24, while the fifth case came from a yet to be determined location via Singapore the same day.

The Ministry of Health confirmed they have now finalised the full travel history of a case reported on Tuesday.

"This person arrived from the United Kingdom on 22 July and travelled through Singapore. This person tested positive in routine day 3 testing."

Taranaki Wastewater

The Ministry said daily sampling from the New Plymouth wastewater treatment plant has continued this week after COVID-19 was detected in two samples on Friday. There have been no subsequent detections of the virus to date.

Community testing is also underway with 1082 swabs taken in Taranaki between Wednesday July 21 and Tuesday July 27 - all of which have returned negative results.

"Thank you to everyone who has so far taken a test and we continue to encourage anyone in Taranaki with symptoms to be tested. We are also recommending that any anyone who has recently been in Australia who is now in Taranaki to get tested even if they don’t have symptoms."

Mattina and Viking Bay update

The Mattina remains in quarantine in Bluff and is inaccessible by the public, the Ministry said.

"One of the COVID-19 positive mariners aboard the Mattina, currently in quarantine at South Port, was yesterday afternoon transferred to Southland Hospital and is currently in a stable condition."

They said the transfer was done in a "carefully planned and coordinated way", working with St John and other hospital staff, under the guidance of Southern DHB Medical Officers of Health.

Of the 20 Viking Bay crew members, 15 are now back aboard the ship, which remains in quarantine at Queens Wharf in Wellington.

Five of the crew members are still in managed isolation in Wellington.