Covid-19 coronavirus: Report shows Northland cases' transmission sources

A NDHB reports details how there are 11 'suspected cases' of Covid-19 at Whangārei Hospital as at Friday. Photo / File

More than a third of Northland's positive Covid-19 cases picked up the virus from coming into close contact with an infected person, a report shows.

Friday's Northland District Health Board (NDHB) IMT Intelligence Report identified the source of transmission (how someone contracted Covid-19) for 10 of Northland's 27 cases as "secondary" - cases linked to another confirmed case via close contact.

The source of transmission for 12 of Northland's cases was classed as "imported", which included nine cases relating to overseas travel and two which were imported to the NDHB from other DHBs.

According to the report, the source of transmission for four other cases was classed as "sporadic". The source of transmission for Northland's latest case, a man in his 70s in a stable condition in Whangārei Hospital, was still under investigation.

A NDHB reports details how there are 11 'suspected cases' of Covid-19 at Whangārei Hospital as at Friday. Photo / File

The report did not include a definition of what a "sporadic transmission source" constituted. When contacted, the NDHB could not elaborate as the necessary staff were not available.

• Covid19.govt.nz: The Government's official Covid-19 advisory website

Northland's positive Covid-19 case tally numbered 27 as at 8am yesterday, including 25 confirmed and two probable cases. Ten cases had recovered, one was in hospital and the remaining 16 were recovering in the community.

Of the cases, 17 were European, eight were Māori and two were classed as "other".

Friday's NDHB report said the region had a further 12 cases classed as "suspected cases" across two Northland hospitals. Eleven were at Whangārei Hospital and one was at Bay of Islands Hospital.

Nationally, a further eight confirmed and five probable cases were announced yesterday - taking the nation's total number of cases to 1422.

Twenty people were in hospital with three in intensive care, two of whom were in a critical condition.

There were no further deaths as 51 more cases had recovered, bringing the total of recovered cases to 867.

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