There are no cases of COVID-19 to report in the community in New Zealand today.
There are two positive cases of COVID-19 to report in managed isolation facilities and two new historical cases aboard
the ship the Playa Zahara.
Since 1 January 2021, there have been 105 historical cases, out of a total of 689 cases
Nineteen previously reported cases have now recovered. The number of active cases in New Zealand is 58.
The seven-day rolling average of new cases detected at the border is seven.
One previously reported positive case has now been reviewed and classified as ‘not a case’ and a second previously
reported positive case is now reclassified as under investigation. Both cases have been removed from our total tally of
cases.
Our total number of confirmed cases is 2,506.Taranaki Wastewater
The Ministry is pleased at the response today to the call for testing in New Plymouth as reported by the local DHB.
The Ministry continues to strongly encourage anyone in Taranaki with symptoms, or recent arrivals from Australia with or
without symptoms who’ve recently visited Taranaki to be tested.
This follows two positive wastewater results detected in Taranaki earlier this week (20 and 22 July) which could be due
to recently recovered cases continuing to shed the virus, or could signal undetected cases in the community.
In order to determine whether there are any undetected cases the Ministry is recommending anyone in Taranaki, or who has
visited recently, and who has symptoms to get tested.
Additional testing capacity has been stood up in New Plymouth to support potential demand.
The Ministry is recommending that any recent arrivals from Australia, who have symptoms, to also get tested, and anyone
who has recently been in Australia who is now in Taranaki to get tested even if they don’t have symptoms.
People who have recently been in Australia should continue to check the State websites for locations of interest as new
locations of interest continue to be identified.
Anyone with symptoms consistent with COVID-19 should call Healthline (0800 358 5453) for advice on getting a test.
For Taranaki testing locations please visit the Taranaki DHB website.
For a list of all testing locations nationwide visit the Healthpoint website.
Testing numbers for Taranaki will be provided tomorrow. Results are also expected tomorrow from further and wider
wastewater sampling carried out over the weekend in Taranaki. ESR undertakes regular wastewater testing across the
country, as an additional surveillance tool in the fight against COVID-19.
While the mariners aboard the Playa Zahara and Viking Bay vessels recently docked at Port Taranaki, in New Plymouth, the
dates of their brief visits, and the activity of the crew, do not appear to be a factor in these wastewater detections.
Additional testing for a small number of port workers and nurses, who have been in possible contact with the mariners,
have all been negative to date.New border cases in New ZealandArrival dateFromViaPositive test day/reasonManaged isolation/quarantine location12 July*USADirectDay 12 / routineAuckland13 July**MarinerPlaya ZaharaSurveillance testingLyttleton Port - Lyttleton13 July**MarinerPlaya ZaharaSurveillance testingLyttleton Port - Lyttleton24 JulyUnited KingdomUnited Arab EmiratesDay 0 / routineAuckland
* Day 12 cases are routinely investigated as a check against possible transmission within the facility
** Cases 2 and 3 are historical and onboard the ship Playa Zahara.Contact tracing
Contact tracing have identified 45 contacts associated with cases in Australia and who are currently in New Zealand. All
45 have been tested and returned negative results.Mattina
Health and border authorities continue to manage the situation around the Mattina.
The health and welfare of the crew are being overseen by Southern DHB’s Medical Officers of Health, who are working
closely with maritime, port and other government agencies.
There are 15 positive COVID-19 cases. Five crew, who have tested negative, have been transferred to managed isolation
facilities onshore, the remainder remain isolated on board the vessel at this time, where they will maintain the minimum
functions on the vessel.
They will not have direct contact with any port staff while maintaining these functions.
These plans have been put in place to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the negative crew members at the same time as
the health and wellbeing of members of the community. In both instances, the public health risk to the community has
been deemed low.Playa Zahara
The crew of the Playa Zahara are now all recovered and are back on board the vessel in quarantine in Lyttelton. One
other crew member, also recovered, has now left the country to return home.Viking Bay
Ten crew members are now in quarantine onboard the Viking Bay fishing vessel at Queens Wharf in Wellington following
crew members from managed isolation being transferred back on board the vessel once it was determined safe for them to
do so. The crew members are continuing to be tested during their quarantine.
Ten crew members remain in isolation in a Wellington managed isolation facility onshore.Testing
The total number of COVID-19 tests processed by laboratories to date is 2,438,807.
On Saturday, 5,432 tests were processed across New Zealand.
The seven-day rolling average is 5,851.
For all testing locations nationwide visit the Healthpoint website.NZ COVID Tracer
NZ COVID Tracer now has 2,905,178 registered users.
Poster scans have reached 311,795,801 and users have created 12,190,453 manual diary entries.
There have been 638,518 scans in the last 24 hours to midday yesterday.
While we are currently in Alert Level 1, remember that doesn’t mean Alert Level none.
Please continue to do everything possible to keep New Zealand free from COVID-19, such as keeping track of where you
have been – scan QR codes wherever you go and turn on Bluetooth tracing in the app dashboard.