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Associate Health Minister says outbreak close to being 'under control'

Author
NZ Herald/ Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Thu, 16 Sep 2021, 5:50PM
Ayesha Verrall Is The Associate Health Minister. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Ayesha Verrall Is The Associate Health Minister. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Associate Health Minister says outbreak close to being 'under control'

Author
NZ Herald/ Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Thu, 16 Sep 2021, 5:50PM

Associate Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall has admitted she is worried by the number of cases linked to Middlemore Hospital after a new emergency department patient was found to have Covid-19.

Wider testing meant the person was picked up today and tested positive.

She said the Government is "doing everything they can" to control the outbreak.

When questioned whether the outbreak was in fact "under control", Verrall said the Government is reducing uncertainty with the use of level 4.

She was adamant the current outbreak is close to being "under control".

Verrall was speaking after 13 new cases of Covid-19 were announced earlier today. The cases included a truck driver who tested positive after crossing Auckland's alert level 4 border.

The driver was tested after isolating for being a household contact of another case, director-general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said.

As well as being an MP, Verrall is also an infectious-diseases physician.

She said if there were any locations of interest linked to the positive truck driver, the locations will be released soon.

The truck driver travelled to Hamilton, Cambridge and Tauranga but it's unclear if he was infectious during that time.

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