There have been three new cases of Covid-19 reported in managed isolation - including two from India - as a temporary ban on travel from that country comes into effect.
Photo: AFP
In a statement, the Health Ministry said there were no new community cases but it did announce a location of interest as it investigated the case of a worker at the Grand Millennium who tested positive for the coronavirus on Tuesday.
The location is the Bikanervala at 2 White Swan Road, Mt Roskill on 7 April between 1.30pm and 2.30pm.
The ministry said further locations of interest were expected and would be announced as soon as they were confirmed.
"Anyone at this location at this time is considered a casual contact and should monitor for any symptoms. If you begin to feel unwell or develop any Covid-19 symptoms, contact Healthline on 0800 358 5453, get tested and stay at home until a negative test result is received.
"We have extended opening hours at its Balmoral community testing centre until 5pm today. Anyone wanting a test today can also go to one of the after-hours general practice and urgent care clinics located across Auckland."
Of the 15 close contacts identified from this case, 13 have now returned negative test results.
The three new imported cases reported today include two from India and one from Papua New Guinea. The number of active cases is now 108 and there has been a total of 2218 cases in this country.
There were 10 new cases in managed isolation yesterday, including eight from India.
The temporary Indian travel ban - which officially starts at 4pm today and will last until 28 April - was announced earlier this week after new surges in cases from India. During the past 30 days, almost two-thirds of patients were from there.
Covid-19 modeller Rodney Jones told RNZ the cases in India had skyrocketed by 20,000 cases since Thursday's announcement.
"We're still on that firmly exponential path. There's no sig that the bend is going to curve anytime soon. so that's going to take us to much larger daily case numbers, and as we know, given the close links between India and New Zealand, that translates into more cases in MIQ."
He said the wave of infections sweeping across India was more powerful than had been seen in the United States or United Kingdom.
"There is an unprecedented nature to it, and just like the inital outbreak last February/March and we had to respond to that, this is something different."
