The Ministry of Health says there are 12 new COVID-19 cases in New Zealand, all detected in managed isolation, with 10 being people off the same flight from India.
No new community cases were reported on Thursday.
The 10 cases from India arrived on 26 September on flight AI 1354 and tested positive on day three of their time in managed isolation.
"We can report that cases were spread out throughout the plane on their flight to New Zealand, sitting between rows 14 and 41. We acknowledge that this is a high number of cases. It reflects that most of the rest of the world continues to experience high levels of COVID-19. This also re-emphasises why we have strong border control measures in place, including day three and day 12 testing, to keep New Zealand and New Zealanders safe," the Ministry of Health says.
The Ministry also says that since August 11 its contact tracing team has identified 4,047 close contacts of COVID-19 cases, with all contacted and either self-isolating or having completed self-isolation. On Wednesday 5,679 tests were processed.
Here's the full Ministry of Health press release.
12 new cases of COVID-19
There are 12 new cases of COVID-19 to report today, all detected in managed isolation. All have been transferred to a dedicated quarantine facility.
There are no new cases in the community.
Ten of these cases arrived from India on 26 September on flight AI 1354 and have tested positive around day 3 of their time in managed isolation. We can report that cases were spread out throughout the plane on their flight to New Zealand, sitting between rows 14 and 41.
We acknowledge that this is a high number of cases. It reflects that most of the rest of the world continues to experience high levels of COVID-19.
This also re-emphasises why we have strong border control measures in place, including day 3 and day 12 testing, to keep New Zealand and New Zealanders safe.
Of today’s other cases, one case arrived from the USA on 26 September and tested positive around day 3 of their time in managed isolation.
One case arrived from the Philippines via Taiwan on 23 September and was tested because they were a contact of a case. They tested positive on 30 September.
There are 14 people isolating in the Auckland quarantine facility from the community, which includes five people who have tested positive for COVID-19 and their household contacts.
One person is in hospital with COVID-19 at Middlemore hospital. The patient is in isolation on a general ward. Since August 11, our contact tracing team has identified 4,047 close contacts of cases, of which 4,047 have been contacted and are self-isolating or have completed self-isolation. This number has dropped since yesterday due to records being identified as duplicates in the system.
Three previously reported cases are considered to have recovered, bringing our total number of active cases to 53.
Of those, 42 are imported cases in MIQ facilities, and 11 are community cases.
Our total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 is 1,492, which is the number we report to the World Health Organization.
Yesterday our laboratories processed 5,679 tests, bringing the total number of tests completed to date to 966,238.
NZ COVID Tracer
There are now 2,287,700 users registered on NZ COVID Tracer.
The app has recorded a total of 80,243,522 poster scans, and users have created 3,475,327 manual diary entries in NZ COVID Tracer.
63 Comments
We aren't charging anyone who intends to stay in NZ for more than 90 days.
This generosity with taxpayer money is absurd at a time the government should be pouncing at every last dollar it can get.
Even Australia with all their dirt money have fixed fees that they're charging everyone, with the exception of those transiting via an Aussie airport for less than 48 hours.
Testing people before they leave would not be a silver bullet. If you've been following the various routes some returnees are taking - transiting through a couple of different places after leaving their original destination - they could've got COVID anywhere. And there were a group of people in the news recently who isolated and tested negative before leaving India and still turned up positive when they got here. And in some countries you might not even be able to get a test.
A test before boarding would be the best solution. I think they can do short duration tests at Airport, the technology is available in some places. NZ should insist on that to protect itself. Since most of the returnees from places like India are citizens/PR holders, they would not have any issue with taking the test.
For now, we should also stop any other category of visa holders from hotspot countries like India from coming to NZ.
Surely people coming to NZ should have to be tested and return a negative test before being allowed on a flight. I know this won't catch all cases, but it will reduce the numbers of infected people coming to NZ and make things safer for our border staff, others in isolation and therefore the rest of us as well.
and would you trust the test at origin
https://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/delhi-doctor-held-for-issuing…
The doctor and his aide have issued at least 75 such fake test results and charged Rs 2,400 from each of the recipients, said Atul Kumar Thakur, deputy commissioner of police (DCP) (south), Delhi Police.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/mumbai-high-demand-sees-rise-…
https://swarajyamag.com/insta/private-lab-in-kerala-found-to-be-issuing…
But the difference between nz and 3rd world countries like India, China and Philippines etc.... Is that our corruption mainly done by higher members of society within their close circle and rarely affect regular people on a daily basis. If no one leaked those out you won't even notice them... But their ones on the other hand is a way of life, you have to participate in corruption just to get regular things done. Things like paying bribes for the local govt worker to issue marriage certificates or consent and bribing the police not to search your store is all too common.
In nz I know it will be ultra rare for you to find a doctor who will forge a fake cert for you. In India is who wouldn't....
Don't worry the neolibs in charge will find a way to import people regardless - NZ Nats and ACT are already on it.
Recent history suggests migration costing locals their quality of life isn't a strong enough reason to stem the inflow.
Millions more from India considering to move overseas as their job market worsened under months of Covid restrictions.
Our government is more than happy to clip the ticket while low value businesses milk the opportunity: https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/122467368/vicious-cycle-why-are-some-i…
Won't be any real change until middle NZ wakes up and realises white collar professions like accounting (we fire out hundreds of accounting grads each year) are on the regional skill shortage lists. There's no such thing as a domestic constraint on the supply of labour anymore.
No it will never happen as nz is so entrenched in PC culture that majority of people will not dare to offend or be critical. Those people gets labelled racist or sexist when they don't follow the UN mantra.
Most if not all our education sector from primary to university is left leaning so there really is not much hope for the next generation to be critical at all.
It would be good to get proper statistics on country of origin and the percentage of those infected on first test after arrival. It could just be that there is a higher number of returning NZs from India than elsewhere.
As it has been reported, anecdotally I'd be worried about India as well, but that needs to be clarified. As I don't think it would be right to close the boarder to these returning NZers, we could however require pre-flight payment of quarantine costs, given I assume it is higher risk and hence, more costly to quarantine and monitor those with infections.
Nobody wants to give really good stats Kate but it seems issues from India are not big overall since March.
But but but. Recent arrivals from there significant problems. Especially special flights on Air India, which has never flown here before.
It's near a guess honestly but it seems there has been surge from India recently. And nobody will say if the"citizens" are actually just "residents" and or family.
Butwith numbers like these I think we should shut India out. And wear the howls about racism.
As I said above no one wants to get labelled racist. Even if you provide statistics it will just get labelled back as racist statistics. Just like in the USA where even crime statics collected by the FBI gets thrown back as racist as the rule is you are not allowed to say anything bad about the black race. Nz has a similar situation with brown people and crime but no one dares to even suggest that maybe their culture is the problem.
We need a weekly breakdown of arrivals. Country of origin. Passport of entry. If not NZ Passport. Then state returning resident visa holder or another type of visa. If they don't ordinarily qualify under current border rules. Then a reason why they were granted entry. No names required just facts. 479 million budgeted for MIQ for this calendar year. Need to know if we are getting anything worthwhile for our money.
Megan & PM might find this hard after what they appeared to label MP Walker
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/300047988/national-mp-hamish-walker-defe…
First-term National MP Hamish Walker has been called racist for a press release claiming that up to 11,000 people from “India, Pakistan and Korea” could be heading to Dunedin, Invercargill and Queenstown for quarantine.
“I think it’s disgraceful and reprehensible. It’s scaremongering and frankly it’s racist,” Woods said.
The funny thing was Walker, like the Mayor of Queenstown were making the point that Queenstown is light on for medical facilities, should some covid case fly in.
Therefore, let's not quarantine in Queenstown.
Funny thing was, Meagan & PM followed exactly what Walker suggested, no quarantining in Queenstown.
Too funny.
Singapore has just opened its borders with all Australian States except Victoria
Don't hear any racist cards being called over that
India has a higher infection rate than Victoria
Your racial prejudice stirring is unacceptable
NZ is playing Russian Roulette by not closing its borders with India
The issue is the borders are closed to all but the wealthy and NZers. the definition of a NZer who receives paid quarantine could possibly be tightened to exclude residency visa holders who may not have been in NZ for some time period and are using NZ as a convenient and free pass in a difficult time in their home country
Exactly - quite a wide definition of a ‘returning Kiwi’
https://www.immigration.govt.nz/about-us/covid-19/border-closures-and-e…
You can come here without first requesting to travel if you are:
a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident
a resident with valid travel conditions, unless you got a resident visa outside New Zealand and you have never used it to travel here
a partner or dependent child of a New Zealand citizen or resident, and your visa is based on this relationship
a diplomat who holds a post in New Zealand.
NOTE
If you are a dependent child you must be younger than 20 if you have a temporary visa, or younger than 25 if you have a resident visa.
Other travel must be for a critical purpose
Anyone else coming to New Zealand must be coming for a critical purpose and they must request approval from us first. Travel must be for a reason that we think is critical and is on our critical purpose list.
List of critical purpose reasons to travel
How to request to travel
If you think you meet our criteria to travel you must first submit an expression of interest using our online request form. If you are coming here as an 'other critical worker' then your employer must do this for you.
Request for travel to New Zealand
If we agree you have a critical purpose, we will invite you to apply for either:
a Critical Purpose Visitor Visa — if you do not already have a visa — or
a variation of your visa conditions if you already have a work or student visa.
THe current NZ border controls can really only handle intermittent cases to keep our elimination status.
Relentless arrivals via Air India with high numbers of cases will eventually break down the 14 day protection. India is the 2nd highest affected country in the world with 6 million cases and likely millions more uncounted and a total population of 1.4 billion. India also has the highest number of non-PR Resident NZ visa holders who are not necessarily normally living in NZ. So it is entirely reasonable to place a ban on this country. Yes, maybe other countries as well.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/where-does-india-stand-in-glo…
they need to treat those coming from certain countries ie USA. UK, india as if they are all infected, lock them up with very limited contact for 20 days
and those from countries that have no covid ie, the islands, some states of australia , one size does not need to fit all, why are they not allowed to self isolate at home after 3 days and a negative test, if you want put ankle bracelets on them to make sure they dont leave home for the 14 days and fine them 10 k if they do. they have more chance of catching inside the isolation hotel, as we have seen by the poor people that caught it off the guy on the flight back to auckland or the nurse or the maintenance guy
Right now, most are coming from India. I agree to ban flights from there until a reliable and approved testing method is found pre boarding. This could also apply to UK, US, etc if they have their have increased covid numbers coming into NZ. Right now, we have to worry about people who are here. There is no racism in it but we do everything to protect our country.
All new arrivals from India should be treated as if they have COVID19. Direct to enhanced facilities like Jet Park. An extra cycle of testings. If you test negative at day 3 and 5 then transfer to another facility. Those currently arriving and not testing positive until day 3 are a potential risk to all others in that lower-level MIQ. Apparently, it is possible to catch COVID19 inside a MIQ from an elevator button. So equally possible that someone on day 13 of their stay could catch it from someone who is positive (but untested) on day 1 of their stay. Far more likely this has already happened instead of the bizarre theory of a 20+ day incubation.MOH policy is if the likely explanation is problematic. Then fly a kite of bizarreness to deflect. Like MPI swarming all over Americold trying to find any traces of COVID19 on boxes of frozen french fries. When you know you had not got around to testing the vast majority of workers even once at the high-risk Jet Park MIQ for the previous 3 months.
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