This story originally appeared on RNZ website and is republished with permission
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield are providing an update on the latest Covid-19 outbreak.
Watch the briefing here:
Auckland has entered its second day of alert level 3 lockdown, with a decision imminent on whether or not to extend it before Friday midnight, when the order is due to end. The rest of New Zealand is at level 2, and aged care facilities are in lockdown nationwide.
Follow the latest updates with RNZ’s live blog
Dr Bloomfield confirmed to Morning Report earlier that a student at Mount Albert Grammar school had also tested positive. The student was a close contact of the family of four in South Auckland who had already tested positive, he said.
Cool store company Americold has also confirmed that three more employees have tested postive for Covid-19, but is still waiting for the test results of more than half the staff.
There is now a total of four staff at the Mt Wellington facility with the virus.
Testing stations continue to be swamped today with long queues trailing outside.
Infectious disease experts have been warning that Covid-19 could been have spreading in Auckland for weeks without notice.
Dr Bloomfield told Morning Report that scenario would be a worry and while it was possible, there was “nothing to suggest it’s a long chain of transmission”.
More to come…
Read more:
- Covid-19 live updates
- Experts Michael Baker and Shaun Hendy share concerns Auckland outbreak could be ‘generations’ deep
- Where you can get tested for Covid-19 in Auckland
- Hipkins: Mandatory masking on the cards in Auckland
