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Covid-19: Transtasman passengers on symptom watch, no new cases today

Author
NZ Herald ,
Publish Date
Fri, 30 Apr 2021, 1:12PM
(Photo / NZ Herald)
(Photo / NZ Herald)

Covid-19: Transtasman passengers on symptom watch, no new cases today

Author
NZ Herald ,
Publish Date
Fri, 30 Apr 2021, 1:12PM

There are no new cases of COVID-19 to report in the community today.
 
There are also no new cases to report in recent returnees in managed isolation facilities.

The total number of active cases in New Zealand today remains at 23.

Our total number of confirmed cases remains at 2,257.

Since 1 January 2021, there have been 49 historical cases, out of a total of 441 cases.

Yesterday, the number of active cases fell to 23 - its lowest tally in eight months - as measures to stop travel from Covid hotspots started to make an impact.

New Zealand case numbers have not been at such a low level since August 11, when 22 people were being treated for Covid.

Earlier today it was confirmed one of the two red zone passengers who were allowed to mingle for two hours with "green zone" passengers in Brisbane has tested positive for Covid.

A fresh travel alert was issued yesterday for passengers arriving into New Zealand from Brisbane to watch for virus symptoms after two Papua New Guinea travellers entered a wrong zone at Brisbane Airport.

Yesterday, passengers from three international planes were met by health officials at New Zealand airports after the Covid breach.

The affected flights were an Air New Zealand flight from Brisbane to Christchurch which arrived around 4.30pm, a second Air New Zealand flight, NZ 146, which landed in Auckland at 5.30pm, and a Qantas flight which landed in Christchurch.

The ministry said the incident sparking the health alert occurred in the Hudson Cafe in Brisbane airport, where two travellers from a red zone country spent two hours in the eatery at the same time as green zone passengers.

Queensland Health authorities said the pair had been transiting from a flight from Papua New Guinea and had been inadvertently directed into the terminal's green departure zone.

The ministry said the two red zone passengers had returned negative results before leaving their home country. However, a test result from swabs taken yesterday had returned a weak positive for one and a negative result for the other.

Yesterday, the inbound planes were met by officials who provided information to passengers, alerting them to the potential breach.

They also provided advice about monitoring their health for the next two weeks and contacting Healthline and getting tested if symptoms develop.

At this stage the ministry considers the risk to the travelling public as low.

Queensland Health had told the ministry the two red zone passengers were wearing masks, maintaining social distancing and were not symptomatic.

In New Zealand, there were three new cases from recent returnees in managed isolation facilities.

Two were from Pakistan and arrived here before travel restrictions from the country, which is deemed a high risk for Covid, took effect on Wednesday.

Brazil, India, Pakistan and Papua New Guinea have been designated very high-risk countries. Only New Zealand citizens and their immediate family members travelling from high-risk countries are eligible to enter the country.

There are presently 23 active cases of Covid in New Zealand. One person is being treated in hospital.

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