Health authorities are investigating after a child tested positive for Covid-19 upon arrival in Japan – despite testing negative for the virus in New Zealand.

A Napier children’s car center has been warned of the situation, but it is deemed low risk,
Hawke’s Bay Medical Officer, Dr Nick Jones said.

The child was also on an Air New Zealand flight from Napier to Auckland on October 22, Jones said.

Anyone aboard flight NZ5018 should remain alert for any symptoms of Covid-19, including a new or worsening cough, fever and loss of taste or smell, and self-isolate or seek tests if they develop symptoms.

Parents of children at a Hawke’s Bay childcare center were told that a child, who is now overseas and had returned from overseas to New Zealand earlier this year, tested positive for Covid-19 after arriving in Japan on Friday. .

The entire family group, including the child, tested negative for the virus before leaving New Zealand.

“Several close family members, who remain in New Zealand, have also been isolated and tested, and all of them showed negative Covid-19 results,” said Jones.

Jones said health authorities in Japan were investigating the child’s case as a suspected Covid-19 case or a potential false positive case.

New Zealand continues to take a cautious approach to the case as investigations continue, he said.

He hopes to get further test results within 48 hours.

The Health Ministry is in regular contact with Japanese health authorities and will provide information about the cases via daily updates, said Jones.

Monday marked the fifth day in a row that no new cases of Covid-19 were reported in the community.

Five new cases were reported at the border, bringing the total active cases in New Zealand to 74.

Three of the imported cases were part of an international fishing crew isolating at the Sudima Hotel Christchurch Airport, bringing the total number of seafarers who have tested positive to 32.

The three cases today were tested on day 9 because they were part of a group that had previously had close contact with other confirmed cases, the Health Ministry said.

All positive cases are in quarantine.

The other two imported cases include family members of positive cases who recently returned and both are already quarantined at an Auckland quarantine facility.

Another case is a recently returned person who arrived from Ethiopia via Dubai and tested positive on the routine 3rd day test. This person has also been transferred to the Auckland quarantine facility.

The total number of confirmed cases in New Zealand now stands at 1,584.

Today is the fifth straight day of no new community cases after two people linked to the marine engineer tested positive on October 17.