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Vessel with close contacts of new Covid-19 case anchored off Napier

Author
NZ Herald,
Publish Date
Sun, 18 Oct 2020, 3:53PM
The ship currently remains offshore in Napier. Photo / Ian Cooper
The ship currently remains offshore in Napier. Photo / Ian Cooper

Vessel with close contacts of new Covid-19 case anchored off Napier

Author
NZ Herald,
Publish Date
Sun, 18 Oct 2020, 3:53PM

A ship carrying workers who have been in close contact with a new Covid-19 case in the New Zealand community will be met by health officials in Napier.

The ship is currently anchored off Napier's coast, awaiting direction from authorities.

Dr Ashley Bloomfield told a press conference on Sunday that a male port worker from Auckland who went to New Plymouth for work this week had tested positive on October 16.

He said the people from the vessel that he worked on in New Plymouth are being treated as close contacts, and the vessel was on its way to Napier Port.

"The public health unit in Napier and other port authorities there will work carefully and closely to get in place plans to isolate and test the crew there ... no one on board is symptomatic at this time," Bloomfield said.

He said the case had been caught early and the risk of onward transmission had been quickly contained.

A Hawke's Bay DHB spokeswoman said that the DHB was working closely with the Ministry of Health and the ship currently remains offshore.

A Napier Port spokesperson said the port was notified on Sunday morning that the vessel was heading to Napier.

"The vessel is at anchor, it is not coming into Napier Port.

"We will facilitate the public health unit to get medical staff onboard if required and will follow any border directive we receive from the Ministry of Health."

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