Coronavirus: Ministry of Heath confirms New Zealand has two coronavirus cases

Publish Date
Wednesday, 4 March 2020, 11:57AM

A second case of coronavirus has been confirmed in New Zealand, Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield says.

Kiwi health authorities are giving their latest update on coronavirus to reporters in Wellington.

The patient is a woman in her 30s, who has recently returned to Auckland from northern Italy.

She is a New Zealand citizen.

The woman's partner - also in self-isolation - is displaying symptoms.

The woman was on Air New Zealand's flight on 25 Feb, NZ0283, from Singapore to Auckland.

Public health staff will be contacting everyone from that flight.

The woman also took two domestic flights - Air New Zealand flight 5013 Auckland to Palmerston North on March 2, and NZ8114 Palmerston North to Auckland on the same day.

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All passengers on those flights will be contacted.

Bloomfield said the woman is in self-isolation in her home with "appropriate clinical support" from public health staff.

She does not require hospital-level care, he said, and self-isolation is considered appropriate in such cases, according to the WHO.

Officials are strengthening the response at New Zealand's border, with an increased presence of health staff at airports.

The key message that Bloomfield wanted to reiterate was anyone who has symptoms and is concerned that it could be coronavirus because they have been to one of the places with coronavirus present should not go to the emergency department or your GP without calling ahead.

All of the Covid-19 testing has been done in New Zealand.

 

This article was originally published on NZ Herald and is republished here with permission.

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