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National | Ministry of Health

Second Covid marker in Te Awamutu wastewater; 65 new community cases

The Ministry of Health has reported 65 new community cases today, all in Auckland.

As of 11am, 34 of these cases are linked and 10 are household contacts. Some 31 remain unlinked, with investigations continuing to determine their connection to the current outbreak.

This takes the total in the outbreak to 1,855. Of Auckland's 1,801 cases, 1,170 have recovered and two of Waikato's 37 cases have recovered also.

Of yesterday's 71 cases, 41 were in isolation during their infectious period and the rest (30) have exposure events.

Given the number of unlinked cases each day, subclusters are not being used in the active management of the outbreak in Auckland. Epidemiological links are being explored during case interviews and whole-genome sequencing is being undertaken on all cases but the focus is on isolating cases and identifying, testing and isolating close contacts.

There are 34 people in hospital. Three are in North Shore, 18 in Middlemore, 12 in Auckland and one in Palmerston North hospitals. Six are in ICU or HDU.

COVID-19 was also detected in a composite sample collected from Wellsford on Tuesday.

Te Awamutu update.

A second wastewater sample taken from Te Awamutu on Wednesday has tested positive for Covid-19. This follows an earlier positive wastewater detection announced yesterday in a sample taken from the Waikato town on Tuesday.

Public health officials have yet to identify anyone who returned to the area from managed isolation and quarantine and could be shedding the virus in the area.

Anyone in the Te Awamutu area who has symptoms of Covid-19, or have family or household members who are symptomatic, or anyone who travels in and out of the area regularly for work, are urged to get tested as soon as possible.

Anyone who has been at a location of interest at the relevant time and is now in Te Awamutu should also get tested, health officials say.

Location of testing sites in and around Te Awamutu are available on the Healthpoint website and the Waikato DHB website.