There are seven new cases of COVID-19 to report in New Zealand today, all detected in recent returnees in a managed isolation facility. There are no new community cases.

With the exception of one arrival from Uzbekistan, all new cases were detected as a result of day 3 testing and are now in quarantine. They are:

• a woman in her 30s who arrived from the United States on 12 September and was in managed isolation in Wellington
• a man in his 60s who arrived from India on 12 September and was in managed isolation in Hamilton
• a man in his 30s who arrived from India on 12 September and was in managed isolation in Hamilton
• a woman in her 20s who arrived from India on 12 September and was in managed isolation in Hamilton
• a man in his 40s who arrived from Indonesia on 12 September and was in managed isolation in Christchurch
• a child aged between 1 and 4 years who arrived from India on 12 September and was in managed isolation in Hamilton
• a woman in her 50s who arrived from Uzbekistan on 14 September. She was tested in Hamilton after appearing symptomatic.

Today there are four people in hospital with COVID-19 – one each at Auckland City and North Shore hospitals and two in Middlemore. All are in isolation on a ward. There are no cases in ICU.

There are 54 people linked to the community cluster who remain in the Auckland quarantine facility, which includes 23 people who have tested positive for COVID-19 and their household contacts.

Since August 11, our contact tracing team has identified 4,043 close contacts of cases, of which 4,036 have been contacted and are self-isolating, and we are in the process of contacting the rest.

With today’s new cases and 9 additional recovered cases, our total number of active cases is 77.

Of those, 33 are imported cases in MIQ facilities, and 44 are community cases.

Our total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 is now 1,458, which is the number we report to the World Health Organization.

Yesterday our laboratories processed 8,185 tests, bringing the total number of tests completed to date to 889,717.

NZ COVID Tracer

There are now 2,228,300 users registered on NZ COVID Tracer.

The app has recorded a total of 62,533,146 poster scans, and users have created 2,984,321 manual diary entries in NZ COVID Tracer.

App contact alerts

We know the app has been making a real difference to the work of our contact tracers.

App uptake was also a key factor in the decision to ease physical distancing requirements for public transport so it’s great when people have it, and use it.

To date, a total of 18 contact alerts have been issued through the app to let people know they may have been exposed to COVID-19 so they can take appropriate steps to protect themselves, their whānau and the community.

This includes four related to the recent case involving a health worker at the Auckland quarantine facility.

When we need to send an alert, we can customise it so people who have visited locations with a higher risk of exposure are advised to self-isolate and get tested, while people who visited lower-risk locations can be asked to look out for any COVID-19 symptoms.

Our contact tracing team points to the app as a good example of blending technology with the human experience. Up to date contact information provided through the app makes the contact and interview process much quicker and easier.

‘It’s been great to see wide uptake and use of the app over recent weeks,’ says Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield.

‘It’s vital people continue to do so as we move down alert levels – it needs to be part of our daily routines.’

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