NZ’S EIGHTH CASE
New Zealand has its eighth confirmed case of coronavirus, the Ministry of Health says.
The eighth case was a woman in her 30s from Denmark travelling in New Zealand, director-general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield confirmed.
The woman arrived in Auckland via Doha on flight QR920 on March 10, and then flew to Christchurch on Jetstar flight JQ225. She then travelled to Queenstown by rental car, the ministry said.
She was unwell so was admitted to hospital for one night.
The woman, who was recovering well, was being discharged, the ministry said. She would recover in selfisolation and will be monitored daily by health services.
A man in his 60s from Australia was the seventh case, Bloomfield said.
He arrived in Wellington on Air New Zealand flight NZ828 from Brisbane on Saturday.
The man was now symptom-free, the Ministry of Health said, and was in selfisolation with his partner and another family member.
He did not require hospital care nor other medical treatment.
Three passengers on the cruise ship Golden Princess were being tested for coronavirus, Bloomfield said. One has developed symptoms and was being treated as a suspected case.
‘‘Everybody has a significant role to play in keeping Covid-19 out,’’ Bloomfield said.
Canterbury District Health Board chief medical officer Dr Sue Nightingale said planning for coronavirus began in January.
The DHB was working with GPs, and the first community-based assessment centre would be ready on Wednesday.
Nightingale said Canterbury Health Laboratories was looking to step up its testing for the virus.
The ministry had changed its definition of close contact in line with other countries to be within 2 metres for 15 minutes, up from 1 metre, he said.
Bloomfield said New Zealand had good testing capacity but doctors would only be testing people who had symptoms, not those who did not.
He said there were lessons to be
‘‘Everybody has a significant role to play in keeping Covid-19 out.’’
Dr Ashley Bloomfield
learnt from the United States and Japanese cruise ship situations.
One of the things that was important, he said, was not leaving everyone on board.
The Health Ministry would increase its staff numbers at the country’s international airports so public health officials met everyone coming in.
Staff would question people about potential exposure and symptoms, and provide advice.
They would tell people about the requirements for self-isolation. There would be further work done on ensuring travellers self-isolated.
Cabinet will meet to consider advice around mass gatherings.
New Zealand had taken a different approach to the United Kingdom, and was taking steps more in line with Singapore and Taiwan, Bloomfield said.
This was about extending and flattening out the infection cases graph curve to let the health system deal with cases in New Zealand.