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National | Community Transmission

Omicron in Palmerston North; 23 new Delta community cases

The Ministry of Health has reported 23 new community cases of Covid and has also confirmed the Palmerston North case announced yesterday to be of the Omicron variant, now confirmed by whole-genome sequencing.

As previously reported, the case was in MIQ in Christchurch and was released on January 16 after five negative results on different occasions throughout their stay.

The person travelled on flight NZ550 from Christchurch to Auckland, departing at 2pm and arriving in Auckland at 3:30pm. Though the person was considered to be infectious on January 17, the ministry is asking anyone who was on the flight to get tested as soon as possible and if displaying any symptoms to get tested and isolate immediately.

All locations of interest are considered to be of high risk. Anyone who was at the locations of interest at the specified times is asked to follow public health advice, including to isolate and get tested immediately.

The ministry is also reporting one new possible Omicron case in an Auckland Airport worker, who is not linked to previously reported Auckland Omicron cases. The infection was detected during routine surveillance testing on January 18 with their test returning positive yesterday.

Whole-genome sequencing is working to determine if it is Omicron. Investigations are underway to determine the source of infection.

Testing of both household and workplace close contacts is underway. To date, one household member has returned a positive result and one has tested negative.

This case is being considered infectious from January 16, with initial locations of interest to be shown today.

Isolation rule extended to 14 days

The ministry says that public health teams are focused strongly on stamping out early Omicron cases in the community, as part of its response to Omicron.

Because of Omicron's increased infectiousness, the isolation time for all Covid-19 cases is being extended to 14 days, previously being ten.

A similar change Is being applied for close contacts where all close contacts will now isolate for 10 days. This was previously seven. The changes take effect from today.

Isolation periods for cases and close contacts remain under review and are planned to change, the ministry says.

New cases

Of the new Delta cases,  11 are in Auckland, one in Waikato, eight in Lakes, two in Hawke's Bay and nine in Nelson/Marlborough regions.

One case is being reported today in Nelson but eight will be added to the official tally tomorrow. All nine cases live in the same household. Public health officials are investigating recent travel to Auckland as the source of their infections, with investigations underway to determine links and locations of interest.

Health and welfare providers are now supporting 712 people in Auckland to isolate at home, including 147 cases.

The new Waikato case is in Hamilton and is under investigation to determine any links to previous cases, with 15 people isolating at home in the region.

All of the Lakes cases are in the Rotorua area. Seven are linked to previously reported cases and one is under investigation to determine a link. All cases are isolating at home or in managed accommodation.

Three new cases are being reported in Hawke's Bay, one of which was notified after the ministry's cut off and will be added to tomorrow's case numbers.

Some 18 people are receiving hospital-level care for Covid-19. Four are in North Shore, seven in Auckland and seven in Middlemore hospitals. One remains in ICU in Middlemore.

Border cases total 44.