The Queenstown Lakes District Council said on Monday night a boil water notice remained in place and it would hold a drop-in session for food operators and members of the wider community to ask questions at the Queenstown Memorial Centre’s supper room on Tuesday from 9.30am to 11am.
The council said it had also provided safe water in a number of locations.
Southern Medical Officer of Health Susan Jack said today there were also seven probable cases, and eight under investigation. A source of infection still had not been identified.
Dr Jack earlier told RNZ she believed there were more than the 30 cases that had been reported to yesterday.
Most infections had been in the Queenstown CBD area and those sick were mostly aged between 15 and 39 years old, with one case under 10.
Dr Jack told RNZ's Morning Report programme that most of the cases were not linked.
"I'm sure that there's more than the cases that we've got but we are urging people, if you do have symptoms or have had recent symptoms, please can you call your GP.
"The more people who are tested and who we can interview about what's going on, the more information we'll have to put this puzzle together."
The most common symptom of crypto infection is smelly, watery diarrhoea and stomach cramps. People living in the Queenstown area, or who have visited since August 18 and who have symptoms, should contact their doctor.
Officials had been looking at water supply as a potential source of the gastro outbreak, resulting in a boil-water notice.
But Dr Jack said they were widening the scope, looking also at food or drink products.
"You may get some person to person spread but we're kind of focusing on, 'Is there a particular food that is in common or drink product?'."
They were also investigating any links in the CBD area, she said.
Dr Jack said the boil-water notice would only be lifted if either an alternative source for the outbreak can be established or if it is confirmed that water is the problem, clear steps are taken to mitigate it.
Health officials had been working with with council and MPI (Ministry for Primary Industries) throughout the weekend and would continue to move as fast as possible to resolve the situation, she said.
Boil water order, safe supply locations
In a statement on Monday evening, the Queenstown Lakes District Council said there was no change to areas of Queenstown/Frankton where residents and businesses need to boil water, nor to the areas where this was not a requirement; Upper Clutha residents and businesses do not need to boil water.
The council said the most recent test results from water were received on Sunday and had come back clear:
- The raw water from the intake has tested negative at <0.5 oocysts/10 (ten) litres.
- The treated water from the reservoir has tested negative at <0.4 oocysts/100 (one hundred) litres.
"Whilst this is encouraging, it does not rule out the water system as a source. The primary limitation of the test is that it only provides information around the presence of crypto in that sample of water," the council said.
"Further, the testing does not tell us anything about the past (or the future). As part of a revised sampling plan, we are working to introduce 24-hour sampling of the source water. This will increase the sample tested and provide a more comprehensive picture of the presence, or otherwise, of protozoa in the source water."
A supply of safe potable water has been made available at the following locations:
- A water bottle refill station at Earnslaw Park, Queenstown aimed primarily at those visiting or working in the CBD to refill drinking water bottles.
- Two large tankers at Athol St Car Park, Queenstown.
- Two large tankers at Queenstown Event Centre (QEC), Frankton.
- The community is asked to take water responsibly so those most in need can have a share.
Areas where people should boil water:
Queenstown town centre (north along Gorge Rd as far as and including Industrial Place)
Queenstown Hill
Frankton Rd and suburbs on the hill above Frankton Rd
Fernhill and Sunshine Bay
Frankton including Five Mile, Remarkables Park and Glenda Dr
Quail Rise and Tucker Beach Rd
Kelvin Heights
Hanley’s Farm
The notice applies to residential and commercial properties (including accommodation providers) that are connected to a public supply in the locations identified above.
Unaffected areas (no need to boil water):
Arrowtown
Arthurs Point
Lake Hayes Estate
Shotover Country
Upper Clutha
Any properties on a private supply (e.g Jacks Point)
- RNZ and ODT Online
