Focus Live: Only patient hospitalised with coronavirus ready to be discharged
More than 50 health staff are in self-isolation after coming into contact with a "probable" coronavirus patient now in a North Shore hospital.
The number of coronavirus cases in New Zealand continues to be five - with two more "probable" cases, Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said this afternoon.
Of the two probable cases, one was a woman aged in her 70s who had been on the Grand Princess cruise ship and was now in North Shore hospital for an "unrelated condition".
"We take the same precautionary actions for a probable case as we do for a positive case," Bloomfield said.
"A number of North Shore hospital staff involved in the woman's treatment during her earlier admission to hospital and regarded as close contacts have been stood down as a precaution for the balance of the 14 days since they were in contact.
Bloomfield confirmed there have been no additional confirmed or probable cases in New Zealand over the weekend.
"The confirmed cases so far fit a pattern of spread primarily within families. This is a pattern identified by the World Health Organization mission which identified that around 80 per cent of all human to human transmission occurred in families," he said.
The first person diagnosed with coronavirus was still in Auckland City Hospital, but plans were underway for them to be discharged.
"Of the other cases, none require hospital-level care."
Bloomfield said new laboratories in Auckland would come online today, meaning the number of tests able to be carried out each day would jump from 60 to 750.
Combined with other laboratories around the country, health officials could now process more than 1000 tests a day if required.
Bloomfield also confirmed that the Government was looking into "drive-through" clinics allowing members of the public to be tested without getting out of their vehicle.
Asked when they would likely be up and running, Bloomfield said it would depend on the situation.
He said the Government will be working through options at the moment – "all options are on the table".
Bloomfield also updated the status of New Zealanders quarantined on the cruise ship, the Diamond Princess.
The five people were well and had passed the 14-day self-isolation period; of the two other passengers one test is negative, the other is still pending.
Four New Zealanders were also onboard the Grand Princess off the coast of San Francisco.
There were 14 people on the MS Opera off the coast of Greece.
The Ministry of Health was not aware of any health concerns in those cases.
Earlier today district health board medical laboratory workers and NZ Blood Service employees who are members of the Apex union announced they would strike this Friday as part of an collective employment agreement dispute.
Bloomfield said he was aware of the threat but said it would not affect coronavirus testing.
He was disappointed that the union was using the current situation to threaten industrial action.
There have been five confirmed coronavirus cases in New Zealand – Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said earlier today that there have been no more cases over the weekend.
She said that the Government was considering setting up "drive-through" coronavirus-testing clinics in a bid to limit the spread of the disease.
These have been set up in a number of countries, including Wales and South Korea. Details are limited at this stage but Bloomfield is expected to provide updates on the scheme when talking to reporters at 1pm.
The number of confirmed cases around the world reaches almost 110,000 with 3800 reported deaths.
Some countries have been hit far worse than others.
For example, the death toll in Italy jumped from 130 to 366 within 24 hours.
The Italian Government has imposed a quarantine in Lombardy and other severely affected areas, impacting some 16 million people.
Bloomfield said last week said that the fourth person to contract coronavirus in New Zealand was the partner of the second coronavirus case-patient.
The pair had arrived back from northern Italy recently – he has been in self-isolation since Wednesday.
Asked by media on Friday if the travel restrictions, currently only in place for China and Iran, should include northern Italy, Ardern said: "I won't rule that out".
