- Health authorities in New South Wales are contacting hundreds of travellers who may have been exposed to COVID-19 in Auckland
- The warning was prompted by a positive case in New Zealand, which officials have not yet traced the source of
- New Zealand has issued an alert for three venues visited by the person, and refused travel to other recent attendees
- Thus far, NSW Health has sent messages to 455 arrivals from New Zealand, who entered Australia since November 5
- Visitors from New Zealand have been arriving under a trans-Tasman travel bubble since October 16, albeit with some hiccups
Health authorities in New South Wales are contacting hundreds of travellers who may have been exposed to COVID-19 in Auckland.
A mystery case of the coronavirus recently cropped up in New Zealand’s largest city, prompting a frantic search by officials to trace its source.
New Zealand officials have not yet found the source, but are investigating recent movements of an Auckland student who works at a clothing store and lives next door to a hotel where overseas visitors are being quarantined.
In addition to encouraging Auckland citizens to stay home, New Zealand offficials have issued an alert for three venues in Auckland which the infected person visited. These venues are A-Z Collection on 61 High Street in Auckland’s CBD, the Vincent Residencies in Auckland Central, and Red Pig Restaurant in the CBD.
Since November 5, at least 455 travellers have arrived in New South Wales from New Zealand. NSW Health has sent messages to all of these passengers, warning them that they may have brought the pandemic across the ditch with them.
None of the passengers who arrived in Sydney from New Zealand on Friday night reported attending those venues, or having any COVID-19 symptoms. As such, New South Wales Health released a statement about the potential transmission, saying that the risk posed by quarantine-free travel “remains low”.
NSW Health also stated that airlines in New Zealand will refuse air travel to anyone who has attended those venues recently. All arrivals from our Antipodean neighbour are being asked to monitor for potential symptoms, and to get tested and isolate if they feel unwell.
Visitors from New Zealand have been arriving in New South Wales and the Northern Territory under a trans-Tasman travel bubble since mid-October. However, these visits have not been without hiccups, including unauthorised arrivals in states which had not agreed to the arrangement.
As more of Australia’s domestic borders come down, New South Wales and the rest of the country will wait with baited breath to see how this latest health scare pans out.