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22 new Covid community cases ahead of alert level decision

Sep 20, 2021

There are 22 new cases of Covid-19 in the community today, the Ministry of Health has confirmed.

In a statement, the ministry said there was also one new case at the border.

Three of the new cases are in Whakatīwai but are being counted in the Auckland total, the ministry said.

That brings the total number of community cases in the current outbreak to 1071. There are 1051 in Auckland (677 of whom have recovered) and 17 in Wellington (all of whom have recovered).

The ministry said 17 of today's 22 new community cases have been epidemiologically linked.

Yesterday 24 cases of Covid-19 were reported by the ministry.

And last night three household members of a remand prisoner with Covid-19 tested positive for the virus in Waikato.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield will announce any alert level changes at 4pm from Parliament.

Today is Auckland's 33rd day in lockdown since level 4 was declared at 11.59pm on 17 August.

Here is the full data from the Ministry of Health:

20 September

Cases  
Number of new community cases * 22
Number of new cases identified at the border One
Location of new cases Auckland, Whakatīwai
Location of community cases (total) Auckland (including 3 cases in Whakatīwai*) 1,051 (677 of whom have recovered);  Wellington 17 (all of whom have recovered);
Number of community cases (total) 1,071 (in current community outbreak)
Cases infectious in the community Six (25%) of yesterday’s 24 cases have exposure events
Cases in isolation throughout the period they were infectious 18 (75%) of yesterday’s 24 cases
Cases epidemiologically linked 17 of today’s cases
Cases to be epidemiologically linked Five of today’s cases
Cases epidemiologically linked (total) 1,039 (in current cluster) (12 unlinked from past fortnight)
Number of sub-clusters * Ten epidemiologically linked subclusters. Of these, two are active, seven are contained and one is dormant.
There are ten epidemiologically unlinked subclusters. Of these, two are active, three are contained and five are dormant.
Cases in hospital 16 (total): North Shore (1); Auckland (5); Middlemore (10).
Cases in ICU or HDU Four
Confirmed cases (total) 3,725 since pandemic began
Historical cases, since 1 Jan 2021 (total) 151 out of 1,908 since 1 Jan 2021
Contacts  
Number of active contacts being managed (total) 1,289
Percentage who have received an outbound call from contact tracers (to confirm testing and isolation requirements) 85%
Percentage with at least one test result 85%
Locations of interest  
Locations of interest (total) 141 (as at 10am 20 September)
Tests  
Number of tests (total) 3,240,635
Number of tests total (last 24 hours) 8,084
Tests rolling average (last 7 days) 13,104
Tests in Auckland (last 24 hours) 3,916
Testing centres in Auckland 24
Wastewater  
Wastewater detections No unexpected detections in ESR’s latest testing
COVID-19 vaccine update  
Vaccines administered to date (total) 4,711,410; 1st doses: 3,092,737; 2nddoses: 1,618,673
Vaccines administered yesterday (total) 26,673; 1st doses: 14,145; 2nd doses: 12,528
Mâori 1st doses: 291,019; 2nd doses: 141,378
Pacific Peoples 1st doses:188,534, 3; 2nd doses: 99,048
NZ COVID-19 tracer  
Registered users (total) 3,233,881
Poster scans (total) 370,812,131
Manual diary entries (total) 16,630,176
Poster scans in 24 hours to midday yesterday 2,152,609



New cases identified at the border

Arrival date From Via Positive test day/reason Managed isolation/quarantine location
10 September United Kingdom United Arab Emirates Day 9 / contact of a case Auckland



*SO/Auckland Hotel MIQ worker update
After further investigation, including retesting, the positive COVID-19 test result returned by the SO Hotel MIQ facility worker last week has been determined to be a false positive.

The individual has been notified and will be able to be released from the quarantine facility today.

The Ministry of Health would like to thank the person for their cooperation.

As a result, the net increase in community cases today is 21.

*Whakatīwai cases
The three cases recorded in Whakatīwai fall within the Counties Mānakau DHB catchment and are being counted in the Auckland total.

*Sub-clusters
The number of epidemiologically linked subclusters now sits at ten. The new one is associated to two households in South Auckland.

Unlinked cases
Of today’s 22 new community cases, 17 are linked to known cases.

Of the five unlinked cases today; three are from one household; the other two are being interviewed.

Of the 22 new cases today, 10 were already in quarantine when they were tested.

Whole genome sequencing
ESR has now analysed whole genome sequencing from samples taken from several recent cases. This shows the truck driver and a couple who went to Middlemore Hospital with COVID-19 symptoms are genome linked to the main outbreak cluster.

Wastewater testing
Following confirmation of the three cases in northern Hauraki, ESR is currently sampling from Kawakawa Bay and Pukekohe. Samples are being collected from three sites in the region. In addition, new samples are being collected from Cambridge, Ngatea, and Paeroa. Results are expected later in the week.

Seven suburbs of interest
Testing in the seven suburbs is continuing with 946 tests taken yesterday across Mt Eden, Massey, Māngere, Favona, Papatoetoe, Ōtara and Manurewa.

The Ministry has asked people in these areas, both with symptoms and without, to get tested to help rule out undetected community transmission. Today we are asking in particular for anyone living in Clover Park, on the south east side of Papatoetoe, to please get tested.

Testing in Kaiaua
There has been a good community turn out for testing in Kaiaua this morning. By 11am today, 150 swabs had been taking. The Waikato DHB has reported wait times of about 30 minutes.

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