Up to 50 people are being treated as casual contacts of a woman with Covid-19 symptoms who sparked a lockdown at Hamilton District Court.
The lockdown was triggered shortly before 10am and was lifted around 11.20am, when members of the public were allowed out again.
People who were inside have been told they are only casual contacts so don't have to do any mandatory quarantine at home.
A source has told the Herald that a woman who works at a Hamilton managed isolation facility had recently had a Covid-19 test because she displayed symptoms. She was still awaiting her test results but turned up at court today anyway.
During the lockdown about 40 to 50 people were stuck in the court.
The source believed the woman had appeared in the registrar's court this morning.
One Hamilton woman, stuck outside during the lockdown, said she was baffled to see the courthouse front doors shut in front of her.
She went to court with her son who was about 10 metres ahead of her. He had walked inside and through security when she heard him say "Mum, you can't come in".
"I looked at him and said 'why?' And then two security staff said the building was in lockdown."
Six cases in managed isolation
Six new cases of Covid-19 in managed isolation were announced yesterday - including two from the United Kingdom where a new strain of the virus is spreading rapidly.
There are no new cases in the community.
Of the new border cases:|
• One arrived on January 2 from the United Kingdom via Qatar and Australia. This person tested positive on day 1 of routine testing and is in the Auckland quarantine facility.
• One case arrived on December 31 from the United States. This person tested positive during routine testing around day 3 and is in a Christchurch quarantine facility.
• One case arrived on December 29 from the United Kingdom via the United Arab Emirates and tested positive at day 6. This person is in the Auckland quarantine facility.
• One case arrived on December 27 from Switzerland via the United Arab Emirates and tested positive at day six. This person is in the Auckland quarantine facility.
• One case arrived on December 22 from South Africa via Qatar.
• One case arrived on December 19 from India via the United Arab Emirates. This person was a close contact of a confirmed case and tested positive at day 15. They are in the Auckland quarantine facility.
