There are six new cases of Covid-19 to report in managed isolation in New Zealand for the past two days. There are no new cases in the community.
The Ministry of Health today released the following details about the six cases:
- One case arrived on 8 December from South Africa. This person tested positive at routine testing around day 12 and has been transferred to the Auckland quarantine facility.
- One case arrived on 8 December from Australia. This person tested positive at routine testing around day 12 and has been transferred to the Auckland quarantine facility.
- One case arrived on 10 December from the United States. This person tested positive around day 7. They were tested as they are a close contact of an existing case in managed isolation. This person is now in quarantine in a facility in Christchurch.
- One case arrived on 15 December from the Netherlands, via Qatar and Australia. This person tested positive at routine testing around day 3 and has been transferred to the Auckland quarantine facility.
- One case arrived on 15 December from the Netherlands, via Qatar and Australia. This person tested positive at routine testing around day 3 and has been transferred to the Auckland quarantine facility.
- One case arrived on 15 December from South Africa. This case has tested positive during routine testing around day 3 and has been transferred to the Auckland quarantine facility.
Two previously reported cases have now recovered. The total number of active cases in New Zealand was now 55. The total number of confirmed cases is 1,760.
The total number of tests processed by laboratories to date was 1,371,889.
New South Wales
Ministry of Health officials are closely monitoring the situation in New South Wales which is reporting increasing numbers of Covid-19 community cases. Ministry officials are in regular contact with Australian officials.
New South Wales is also implementing new measures for international aircrew.
Officials in New Zealand had already increased public health and testing measures relating to aircrews to further strengthen our country’s defence against COVID-19.
Among the measures, overseas-based air crew are required to stay in a managed isolation facility for the duration of their layover while in New Zealand.
The last update was sent on Friday when there were 10 new cases in managed isolation.
The latest NZ update comes as news out of Sydney is expected to worsen today. There are 38 cases of Covid associated with the new northern beaches cluster, 23 of which were reported yesterday.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said those numbers would likely be repeated today.
The NZ Government is closely monitoring the Sydney outbreak, but said it was too soon to say what the impact would be on any transtasman travel bubble.
And in the UK, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has "cancelled Christmas" for millions of people across London and south-east England after scientists said a new coronavirus variant is spreading more rapidly.
Johnson announced from Sunday areas in the South East currently in Tier 3 will be moved into a new Tier 4 - effectively returning to the lockdown rules of November. It is estimated to affect about 20 million people.
Non-essential shops, gyms, cinemas, hairdressers and bowling alleys will close for two weeks, and people will be restricted to meeting one other person from another household in an outdoor public space.
The rest of England will also see the Christmas "bubble" policy - allowing up to three households to meet over the holiday period - severely curtailed, applying on Christmas Day only.
