Blenheim Covid-19 case stayed a night in Tokoroa, two new Waikato cases

Monday, 25 October 2021

Anyone in the Waikato with Covid-19 symptoms has been asked to get tested as two further cases are identified on Monday.

A person with Covid-19 who travelled to Blenheim spent a night in Tokoroa before flying from Rotorua Airport, the Ministry of Health has confirmed.

Two new Covid cases have also been announced in the Waikato region.

The person who travelled to Blenehim stayed at a “residential address” in Tokoroa, the ministry said in Monday’s 1pm update.

It has previously said the person was linked to the Te Awamutu cluster.

The Whole Truth Covid-19 Vaccination: How does an mRNA vaccine work? (Video first published October 2021)

* Covid-19: 80 new community cases across Auckland, Waikato and Northland

* Covid-19: Two new cases identified in Northland after travelling from Auckland

“Public Health officials are now investigating whether there are any potential exposure events in the [Tokoroa] area, associated with this case.”

As of 3.30pm Sunday, no Tokoroa places were on the Ministry’s locations of interest site.

A Tokoroa testing station was being set up and would be operating on Tuesday, a social media post from South Waikato Pacific Islands Community Services said.

It would run 11am-3pm at Tokoroa Hospital’s Gate 4, between Tokoroa Medical Centre and Tokoroa Family Health.

The centre is run in partnership with local GP's, Raukawa Charitable Trust, and Waikato District Health Board, the post said.

People in Blenheim have been lining up for Covid-19 tests after news of a positive case in their area – the South Island's first 19 in almost a year.

The Ministry of Health couldn’t say whether the person in Blenheim – understood to be a man – was breaking alert level rules by crossing a boundary, how he was able to do so or whether he had an exemption.

Interviews continue, and a third contact has returned a negative test.

In a statement, the ministry thanked the person for getting tested and said the firm priority was working out where they had been and managing any public health risk.

The Waikato region had two new cases reported on Monday: one in Hamilton and one in Te Awamutu/Kihikihi. All are known contacts of existing cases and have been in touch with Public Health.

This brings total cases for Waikato during this outbreak to 87, with six cases for which epidemiological links remain under investigation.

The two cases in Ōtorohanga, announced on Sunday evening, were confirmed after the Ministry’s daily reporting period so have been included in Monday’s overall case tally.

Anyone in the Waikato region with symptoms which could be Covid-19 or who thinks they have been in contact with a case should get tested, the ministry said.

Testing locations can be viewed on the Healthpoint website and Waikato DHB website, with testing available throughout Labour Weekend.

The Ministry announced 109 new community cases of Covid-19 nationwide.

The 1pm briefing on Monday revealed that 47 of the new cases are linked, including 30 household contacts, and investigations remain ongoing for the 62 unlinked cases to help determine their connection to the outbreak.

The number of new community cases is up on the 80 new cases announced on Sunday.

On Sunday, 4,820 tests were processed for Waikato. Vaccinations dropped to 939, but this was expected over the long weekend with fewer sites operating.