https://www.9news.com.au/national/new-zealand-coronavirus-update-11-new-cases-ou...




By Kate Kachor • Senior Journalist
12:01pm Aug 19, 2021




A return traveller from Sydney has been identified as "patient zero" for New Zealand's Delta COVID-19 outbreak.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the individual arrived from Australia into Auckland on a managed red zone flight on August 7.
They returned a positive result for COVID-19 on August 9, with whole genome sequence testing revealing the case is connected to the New South Wales outbreak.


The infected case was moved to Middlemore Hospital in August on Monday.
New Zealand today recorded 11 new locally acquired cases of the virus, taking the outbreak to 21.
NZ Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said 12 of the 21 new cases have been confirmed as part of the Auckland cluster.
Dr Bloomfield said a further eight new cases are under investigation.
He said five of the new cases are a family group, which he said "at first glance there is a connection to Avondale college".
He said 362 individuals who have been categorised and followed up, with well over 1000 people who will be contacted for tracing.
"We believe we have uncovered the piece of the puzzle we are looking for," Ms Ardern told a press conference today.


Possible missing links
Ms Ardern said NZ health authorities now believe there are "possibly one or maybe two missing links" as to how the virus spread in the community.
Though, she said the "balance of evidence" provides confidence to "focus our search on the missing link".
She said the focus will centre on the Crown Plaza hotel where the returned traveller stayed before being transferred to the Jet Park.
There were 208 staff at the Crowne Plaza when the individual in question was staying at the hotel. Of this number, only one worker is overdue for COVID-19 testing by less than 48 hours.
There were 200 staff working at Jet Park, with only two workers overdue for testing.
There are 407 staff members across the sites who have been compliant with NZ's vaccination order. Of this number, only four had one COVID-19 jab. All remaining were fully vaccinated.

aquascoot wrote on Aug 19^th, 2021 at 4:52pm:



Jacinda will command the tide to stop:

aquascoot wrote on Aug 19^th, 2021 at 5:05pm:



Given that very person who gets it infects 6 others
it will be a near impossible task.

Has anyone heard from Tasmania these days! i guess no news is good news. They must be freaking out though if it can jump the ditch.

Jacinta will scare Covid all the way back to China.

aquascoot wrote on Aug 19^th, 2021 at 5:05pm:


When did she say she thinks she can beat it?

lockdowns dont work.

california and new york spent 6 months in lockdown and had more deaths per 100,000 population then florida and texas which spent less then a fortnight.

lockdowns lock up sick people inside with family, ensuring everyone gets it and they make people forget about using common sense , so when the lcokdown ends they go stupid.

lockdowns wont work in nz either

the kiwis will have to run the marathon like every other country,

england and sweden are now kicking back having a beer and loving life.
england are about to play test cricket against india (home of the delta) with full crowds.

australia and NZ are just getting out of bed and making their way to the starting line.

all that pain is in front of us and it is inevitable

aquascoot wrote on Aug 20^th, 2021 at 1:24pm:



' ........  she told people vaccine hubs were closed during lockdown ...... '

Well, is that like having your car revving at 3000 rpm while the brakes are hard on?