Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced from Sunday NZ will temporarily suspend travel from India to combat a surge in infected tourists. Video / NZ Herald
There are three new cases of Covid-19 in managed isolation and none in the community, the Health Ministry announced today.
No new community cases have been detected since Tuesday’s announcement that an MIQ security guard at the Grand Millennium Hotel in Auckland has tested positive.
Fifteen close contacts of the Covid-infected MIQ workers, who have not been vaccinated, have now been tested for the virus and isolated. Thirteen have tested negative so far.
New locations of interest have now been identified in relation to MIQ workers. This is Bikanervala Bakery on White Swan Rd in Mt Roskill.
The preferred time is between 1.30 and 14.30 on April 7. Anyone in the bakery at that time was considered a casual contact and advised to monitor symptoms.
If you are not feeling well you should call Healthline, get tested and self-isolate.
The Balmoral community testing center is open until 5pm today, or people can visit general practice after hours or emergency care clinics across Auckland for today’s exams.
Further locations of interest are expected and will be announced when confirmed, the ministry said.
Two of the three new positive cases in managed isolation in Auckland arrived from India between April 5 and 9, and tested positive within three days.
A third case arrived from Papua New Guinea on April 8 and tested positive on the first day of managed isolation.
The total number of active cases across the country is now 108.
The seven-day mean turnover of new border-related cases was 9.
The ministry has confirmed a crew member of the ship in Taranaki under investigation has a historical infection that has been reported overseas. The person has returned a negative test result.
More than 4300 Covid-19 tests were processed yesterday.
A two-week ban on traveling to India
Today’s update comes in two weeks India’s travel suspension starts today.
There were 10 new border-related cases yesterday and all of them are in MIQ. Eight of those infected traveled from India via the United Arab Emirates. The remaining two are from the UAE via Malaysia and Canada via the United States.
The latest border cases are people traveling from India, prompting the Government to ban arrivals from the country until at least April 28.
Two of the positive cases from India yesterday tested positive around day 0, four around day 3, one (contact case) on day 7, and the other on day 8 after showing symptoms.
The Human Rights Commission has demanded the Government justify its ban on flights from India.
Chief Human Rights Commissioner Paul Hunt said more information was needed about why behind the travel suspension.
This is the first time New Zealand has stopped citizens or residents from returning.
“While a public health emergency is a justification for restricting the free movement of people, any restriction on the right of New Zealanders to return home must be clearly justified by the Government in accordance with domestic and international human rights obligations,” Hunt said.
The commission cannot judge whether the ban is valid, unless the Government is transparent about its decisions, he said.
New Zealand has agreed under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights that no one may be arbitrarily deprived of the right to enter their own country.