Covid 19 coronavirus: Casual contacts of confirmed cases identified in Northland

Cars pack out the Pohe Island testing station in Whangārei. Photo / Tania Whyte

There are casual contacts of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Northland, but the Northland District Health Board says the risk of infection is very low.

A casual contact is anyone with exposure to a case who does not meet the criteria for a close contact. A close contact has multiple definitions but includes those who have had face-to-face contact within two metres of a case for 15 minutes without appropriate personal protective equipment.

Yesterday morning, the Ministry of Health used the alert function on the Covid Tracer app to notify people who had visited the same locations in Rotorua as the confirmed Covid-19 cases from South Auckland visited.

NDHB medical officer of health Catherine Jackson. Photo / Supplied

Northland District Health Board medical officer of health Catherine Jackson confirmed some of the people who received the alert telling them they were casual contacts were in Northland.

However, she emphasised the risk of catching Covid-19 was very low for casual contacts.

Jackson said the most important thing to remember was if someone had symptoms and was waiting on a test result, they must stay home.

She said the current focus for testing was people who had symptoms, people from the Pasifika community, and people who had visited Auckland in the past two weeks.

It was estimated about 200 tests were administered in Whangārei on Wednesday. Photo / Tania Whyte

Symptoms of Covid-19 were similar to common illnesses such as a cold/influenza: cough, high temperature, shortness of breath, sore throat, runny nose, and temporary loss of smell.

After unprecedented demand for tests on Wednesday resulted in about 200 tests being done in Whangārei, a second Whangārei testing station will be open today from 20 Winger Crescent in Kamo from 10am.

Testing will be available seven days a week across Northland's eight community testing centres, GP clinics and hospitals.

For more information on testing venues and times, refer to the NDHB website: www.northlanddhb.org.nz.

About 600 tests were administered across Northland on Wednesday. Photo / Tania Whyte

Jackson said people tested should have their result texted to them within five days. If not, she advised people to call the helpline on 0800 600 720.

She encouraged people without symptoms seeking a test to be patient, as people with symptoms would be prioritised.

Nationally, 14 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 were announced yesterday. One related to travel while the remaining 13 were linked to the family in South Auckland, which was now being treated as a cluster.