6 new cases of Covid-19 have been announced by the Prime Minister at the 1 p.m. Covid-19 media briefing today.
The total number of community cases has risen to seven in under 24 hours. A Devonport tradesman who was unvaccinated was the first to test positive just after noon yesterday.
Speaking to Te Ao Tapatahi Associate Health Minister Peeni Henare said genomic testing had confirmed the outbreak is the highly contagious Delta variant.
All four “are close contacts of the original [Devonport] case that saw us go into lockdown yesterday,” Henare said.
One of the cases is a fully vaccinated nurse who was working on a ward at Auckland Hospital while infectious. She, in turn, has infected a colleague at the hospital.
Henare says officials are working urgently to reduce the risk of further transmission at the facility.
Minister Peeni Henare confirmed to Māori Television Covid-19 transmission of the highly contagious delta strain has occured at Auckland Hospital.
The cluster has “grown two more legs to it and we're working as fast as we can to make sure that we can keep a ringfence around it“
“They're on their own kind of lockdown and protocol, to make sure that they can continue to keep the people there safe, while testing resumes.”
Henare says no link to the border or MIQ has been identified. He conceded “there is speculation that it could have come through her [the nurse’s] particular role".
Asked about the positive case socialising with approximately 150 people at the Star & Garter Hotel in Coromandel over the weekend, Henare wouldn’t speculate on whether more cases were expected.
“Without causing any panic among the whānau, it’s already risen in the last 12 to 24 hours. That’s why we went into lockdown to make sure we can keep a ring fence around the Delta variant as best we can.”
Star & Garter Hotel in Coromandel Township visited by the Covid-19 case on Saturday evening to watch the All Blacks - Wallabies Test. Photo / Christian Michel
Māori are 50% more likely to die of Covid-19, and Henare said he’s particularly concerned about the threat Delta poses for Māori whānau.
“It's always at the forefront of the thinking in the meetings that we have,” he said.
Vaccination rates for Māori are approximately half that of the general population. Henare called vaccination rates "stubbornly low". He said he was reticent to send more vaccines to Māori health providers as they were “stretched to the limit”.
“Our numbers for our kuia and kaumātua actually exceed non-Māori. So we did a reasonably good job on the 60 plus population.
“We were starting to show some good numbers but now we find ourselves in lockdown. Over the next 24 - 48 hours vaccinations will pause as we focus on the lockdown testing stations.”
Henare says a number of those administering the vaccine have “transferred over” to providing testing services. He says the government is focusing on non-Māori and mainstream health providers having "equity at the forefront of their thinking and in their delivery model to our people".
Rallying the country to get vaccinated when centres open again, Henare said he, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Health Minister Chris Hipkins and "a handful of my colleagues" have all been vaccinated.
Henare reminded whānau of the requirements of the level 4 lockdown to halt the spread of the current cluster.
“We've beaten Covid-19 before and my expectation is we can do it again. We proved that we are resilient people... Only leave the home if you need to. And, if you do leave the home, please make sure that you do wear a mask.”
The Prime Minister and health officials will provide an update on the outbreak at 1 p.m. It will be live on teaomaori.news and the Te Ao Facebook page.
Health officials are asking anyone who has been at a location of interest (listed below) to self isolate immediately and contact Healthline on on 0800 358 5453 for more information.
Places of interest
Coromandel
- Star and Garter Hotel (5 Kapanga Rd) - August 13 between 6.39pm - 7.40pm
- Umu Cafe (22 Wharf Rd) - August 13 between 7.40pm - 8.30pm
- BP Gas Station (Tiki Rd) - August 14 between 9.30am - 9.40am
- Driving Creek Railway Tours (380 Driving Creek Rd) - August 14 between 10.30am - 10.50am
- Jaks Cafe & Bar (104 Kapanga Rd) - August 14 between 10.50am - 11.30am
- Hereford 'n' a Pickle (2318 Colville Rd, RD 4, Colville) - August 14 between 1.25pm - 2.15pm
- Taras Beads (1/75 Kapanga Rd) - August 14 between 3pm - 3.10pm
- Richardsons Real Estate (151 Kapanga Rd) - August 14 between 3.30pm - 3.35pm
- Umu Cafe (22 Wharf Rd) - August 14 between 6.17pm - 7.11pm
- Star and Garter Hotel (5 Kapanga Rd) - August 14 between 7.11pm - 9.00pm
- Taras Beads (1/75 Kapanga Rd) - August 15 between 10am - 10.05am
- Umu Cafe (22 Wharf Rd) - August 15 between 10.14am - 11.10am
Thames
- Woodturner Café (3815 State Highway 2) - August 15 between 12.40pm - 1.25pm
Tāmaki Makaurau
- Crumb Grey Lynn (Ariki St) - August 12 between 10am - 10.10am
- Devonport Pharmacy (33 Victoria Rd) - August 16 between 2.15pm - 2.30pm