The number of cases linked to a wedding in Bluff has jumped to 92. Photo / U.S. National Institutes of Health
The number of cases linked to a wedding in Bluff has jumped to 92. Photo / U.S. National Institutes of Health
The number of coronavirus cases from a Bluff wedding has leaped to 92 - as an Air NZ flight attendant linked to the cluster tells of his deep upset over the outbreak.
With three new cases confirmed in the past day, it is now equal to Auckland's Marist College, the largest cluster in the country.
The Marist cluster has also been linked to 92 cases. No new cases have been announced in the past day.
Seventy guests attended the wedding at Bluff's Oyster Cove Restaurant and Bar on March 21, before gatherings were banned.
An Air NZ steward at the centre of the cluster said he was not unwell during the reception, but was believed to be asymptomatic and potentially carrying the virus.
He had reportedly returned from a trip overseas in the week before the wedding.
The man has issued a short statement through Air NZ, saying he followed recommended cabin crew guidelines while at work.
"Air New Zealand's employee, as all operating cabin crew, adhered to the Ministry of Health's guidance which includes hygiene and PPE measures," the statement said.
"Our colleague is deeply upset by what has happened and the implication in comments published in the media that he did anything wrong."
The death of an elderly Invercargill man who was believed to have the virus has also been linked to the cluster.
In his 70s, the man died in his Kingswell home on Tuesday evening. A post-mortem examination took place on Thursday afternoon.
Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield would not say if his death would be added to the national total of nine Covid-19 deaths until those results were available.
Bloomfield confirmed that the man had an indirect link to the Bluff cluster.
It is understood his wife worked for the Invercargill City Council, where several staff have tested positive - including the bride of the Bluff wedding.
Fifteen new cases of the coronavirus were announced yesterday, taking the total to 1401 since the start of the pandemic. Of that number, 770 have recovered.
There have been nine Covid-linked deaths across New Zealand.
