RNZ Wellington, March 18, 2020
New Zealand has eight new cases of Covid-19, all related to overseas travel, the Ministry of Health has confirmed.
It brings the total of confirmed cases in New Zealand to 20.
Speaking at the latest media conference, Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said that there are four new cases in Auckland, one in Christchurch, two in Waikato and one in Invercargill.
Some of the new cases have come from Europe, Australia and the USA.
He said details for each of these cases, including flight information, will be revealed on the Ministry of Health website “in the near future.”
Identify and isolate cases
“We expected more cases and it is most important that we identify that we test and isolate cases and close contacts to ensure that we prevent further community spread,” Dr Bloomfield said.
He said that the new cases have been in self isolation and aware of the symptoms. He commended them for doing the right thing.
Watch the media conference live here:
School closed
About 150 students at Logan Park school which was initially closed for 48 hours last night will be tested over the next 24 hours.
Test results for these close contacts will not be available until Friday (March 20, 2020) and the school will stay closed until further notice.
Secretary of Education Iona Holsted said there was a plan in place for Logan Park High, and the Health Ministry was planning for temporary closures of schools, but not long-term closures.
Dr Bloomfield said that Police had conducted some compliance checks on travellers who have arrived since the self isolation policy came into effect.
He said that they had made contact with 41 individuals yesterday and they were following up with three more today.
The Influenza Vaccination Programme will begin early this year, with a 30% increase in tests, Dr Bloomfield said.
Updated information
As Covid-19 spreads around the world, it can be daunting keeping up with the information.
For RNZ, our responsibility is to give you verified, up to the minute, trustworthy information to help you make decisions about your lives and your health. We will also be asking questions of officials and decision makers about how they’re responding to the virus. Our aim is to keep you informed.
Infectious diseases expert Michael Baker this morning called for New Zealand to close all schools until testing could confirm there was no widespread community transmission.
The government is spending an additional $5 million on increasing testing capacity for the Covid-19 coronavirus as part of its $500 million spend to tackle the impact of the virus on the health system. If you have symptoms of the coronavirus, call the NZ Covid-19 Healthline on 0800 358 5453 (+64 9 358 5453 for international SIMs).
Australian ban
Australian Prime Minister earlier announced a level-4 travel ban for the first time in that country’s history, saying no Australians should travel abroad and he has banned non-essential gatherings of more than 100 people.
New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has also called on New Zealanders travelling overseas to return home, and advised against all non-essential travel.
Published under a Special Agreement with www.rnz.co.nz
