By One News / TVNZ. Republished with permission
Genome sequencing overnight has confirmed the Covid-19 case detected in the community yesterday has the Delta variant.
There are also four new cases of Covid-19 in the community linked to the initial case, as the country wakes up to Alert Level 4 restrictions.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirmed the news on Breakfast this morning.
The four cases are linked to the case announced yesterday: a man from Auckland’s North Shore. Genome sequencing for these cases is underway.
They include a co-worker of a man, and three household contacts of that co-worker. Ardern said one of the four new cases works in Auckland Hospital and is fully vaccinated. They are a healthcare worker.
Those who have worked or shared shifts with the health worker are being tested.
This brings the total number of active cases in the community to five.
On Tuesday, the Ministry of Health said a 58-year-old Aucklander from Devonport tested positive for the virus.
Reflecting on how quickly Delta outbreaks have spun out of control overseas, Ardern on Tuesday stated the country “only gets one chance” to stamp out the virus.
“We have made the decision on the basis that it is better to start high and go down levels rather than to go low, not contain the virus and see it move quickly,” Ardern said.
The man became symptomatic on Saturday August 14 while he and his wife were in Coromandel township, and visited his GP yesterday. He and his wife are both isolating.
Dr Ashley Bloomfield said the couple had travelled to Coromandel on Friday August 13 and returned on Sunday August 15.
The locations and times of interest related to the man are on the Ministry of Health’s website.
Bloomfield thanked the man for getting tested as well as being a frequent user of the Covid-19 tracing app.
The man was unvaccinated but had taken steps towards booking his vaccine. Bloomfield said the man had difficulties with the online booking system. His wife was fully vaccinated.
Auckland and the Coromandel will enter a seven-day Alert Level 4 lockdown, while the rest of the country will be in Alert Level 4 for three days.
The lockdown is the first in 169 days since Auckland went into lockdown in March.
FAKAMATALA FAKATONGA
Kuo fakapapau’i ‘eni mei he fakatotolo hohoko ‘o e fononga ‘a e vailasi Kōviti ne toki ma’u ‘i Nu’u Sila’ ko e fōtunga kehe ‘eni ‘o e vailasi’ ‘oku ui ko e Tēlita’ (Delta).
Kuo fakapapau’i mai he pongipongi’ ni ‘e he palēmia’ Jacinda Ardern ko e toe keisi ‘e fā ‘o e Kōviti’ kuo ma’u he komiunitii’ pīhia kotoa ‘eni mei he tokotaha ta’u 58 ne mu’aki ma’u mei Tivenipōti’. ‘Oku kei hoko atu ‘a hono hohoko’i fakasaienisi ‘o e toko fā ko ‘eni pe na’e ma’u ‘e ha toe kakai ‘a e vailasi’ meia kinautolu. ‘Oku kau ai ha neesi he potungāue mo’ui pea ‘oku ‘i ai ‘a e manavasi’i na’a kuo tō e mahaki’ he kau ngāue’ ni ka ‘oku te’eki lava ke tala. ‘Oku kau ai mo e toko tolu ko e ma’u he ‘api ‘o e tokotaha ne ‘uluaki ma’u’.
Ko e tokotaha’ ni ne ‘osi huhu malu’i’aki e Pfizer vaccine tu’o taha pe te’eki hoani. Ko hono uaifi’ ne ‘osi huhu malu’i ia pea kuo ma’u hono sivi mo’ui lelei’ ‘ona ‘o mahino ‘oku nekativi pe hao ia ‘ikai ma’u ‘e he vailasi mei hono mali’.
Ko e founga hono fakatotolo’i ‘aki hono hohoko e fononga ‘a e vailasi’ mei ha taha’ ‘oku ui ko e hohoko sēnome’ (genome sequencing).
