6 Mar 2020

Covid-19: Fourth NZ case potentially infectious at Tool concert

From Checkpoint, 5:17 pm on 6 March 2020

New Zealand's Covid-19 count is officially four, with the husband of an already infected Auckland woman returning a positive test for coronavirus.

The couple returned home from Northern Italy on February 25. On Friday health officals revealed the 41-year-old man was at a Tool concert in Auckland last Friday and the so called casual contacts or people near him in the mosh pit are almost impossible to trace - but any risk of infection is low.

In a turnaround the Ministry of Health also announced it will test the grandparent believed to have spread the third confirmed case of coronavirus, after previously saying they would not test that person.

Close family members of infected people will now also be offered testing - even if they are not showing signs of infection.

The only person hospitalised in NZ with coronavirus is said to be getting better and planning for their discharge is underway.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Ashley Bloomfield agreed to come on the programme - but after confirming all the details his office called to say he was no longer available for the planned interview.

RNZ's Katie Doyle has the latest.