Three new cases in MIQ; contact tracers seeking NSW travellers

As concern around the Covid-19 outbreak in Sydney grows, the Ministry of Health says there are no new cases in the New Zealand community and three new cases in MIQ.

One previously reported case has now recovered so the number of active cases in New Zealand is 23.

Quarantine-free travel with New South Wales remains but the ministry said yesterday it was "regularly reviewing" developments across the ditch and advice could change at any time.

"New Zealand health officials have determined that, at this time, the Covid-19 public health risk to New Zealand remains low.

Contact tracers last week got in touch with 6824 passengers from New South Wales who arrived in New Zealand before last Wednesday, when the first recent community case in Sydney was announced. These were travellers who had been in NSW since 11 June.

The city's cluster now has nine cases involving the highly contagious Delta variant.

Health authorities in both NSW and New Zealand are asking people to continue checking the NSW Health website for new locations of interest.

The new cases detected in MIQ were returnees from Germany, Afghanistan and India.

The seven-day rolling average of new cases detected at the border is one. Since 1 January 2021, there have been 76 historical cases, out of a total of 548 cases.

At the weekend, the Ministry of Health updated its advice for anyone in New Zealand who was at the Westfield Bondi Junction mall in Sydney last weekend.

"Anyone in New Zealand at the Westfield Bondi Junction mall [including the car park] in Sydney's Bondi Junction on Saturday 12 June between 11am to 12pm or Sunday 13 June between 1pm to 2pm and 4pm to 4:30pm should get tested immediately," said the ministry.

"They must also contact Healthline on 0800 358 5453 and stay at home until they get a negative test result. They are also advised to continue to monitor for symptoms and if any develop, get tested again."

NSW public health officials on Saturday classified the entire Westfield Bondi Junction mall and its car park as a location of interest, not just specific shops.

It follows a case last week involving a very fleeting contact with another case at the busy mall.

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