Focus Live: Ministry of Health says NZ has two cases of coronavirus
A woman with a 7-month-old baby who was at Palmerston North airport the same day as a coronavirus-infected traveller says there were no hand sanitisers available or even soap in the women's toilets.
Health officials are now piecing together the day-to-day movements of an Auckland woman infected with coronavirus and her partner since February 25, when they flew back from northern Italy.
On March 2 the woman flew from Auckland to Palmerston North on Air NZ flight NZ5103, returning on the same day on Air NZ flight NZ 8114.
The Herald understands the woman travelled to Palmerston North for work but returned to Auckland after becoming too ill.
Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield confirmed today that the woman is the second confirmed case of Covid-19 in New Zealand.
Megan Hands was travelling with her partner and 7-month-old baby and was at Palmerston North airport on March 2.
Hands is an environmental consultant and Environment Canterbury councillor and was at the airport for more than four hours that day, including during the time the flight carrying the woman affected by Covid-19 had left.
Hands posted on Twitter at the time that she was surprised there was no soap or hand sanitiser in the bathrooms at the airport.
"In other news sitting here at Palmy airport wondering how prepared NZ really is for an outbreak of coronavirus or even just a bad flu season ... when there's not a single hand sanitiser in this entire airport."
Megan Hands posted on Twitter at the time that she was surprised there was no soap or hand sanitiser in the bathrooms at the airport. Photo / Twitter
She posted again on Wednesday after news that the second confirmed coronavirus case had travelled to and from Palmerston North on that day.
Hands told the Herald her family was not on the same flight as the affected woman, but watched as the plane departed.
A last-minute nappy emergency meant they just missed the check-in time for their flight to Christchurch so had to wait for the next one.
Her partner had called her to tell her that the second case had passed through Palmerston North airport at the same time they were.
The first coronavirus case was confirmed two days prior to March 2, so it had been in their minds at the airport.
"We had a conversation while we there that the last place you really wanted to be was at an airport, particularly with a young child. It is a busy airport, a lot busier than people think.
"I would have thought that, like there is in Christchurch, there were hand sanitisers everywhere. There's nothing like that at Palmy airport, and there was no soap in the ladies or the disabled toilet.
"So it's obviously not been on their priority list. It did not seem there was any additional cleaning or anything at the airport.
"She said she was slightly worried, especially because of her baby.
"That's the unfortunate thing about anything like this virus, is that you just don't know. I got his message and I thought 'what do we do?' Do we not go places just in case, because how bad would you feel if you've got it and passed it on to everybody else? You don't want to be that person.
"All we can do is take advice from the Ministry of Health and not panic. But it is worrying, especially having such a young baby. I know there are reports that it has not been so bad on young children so far, but you just don't know so it is a bit worrying."
The female patient flew into Auckland on Air NZ flight NZ0283 from Singapore on February 25, and on March 2 flew from Auckland to Palmerston North on Air NZ flight NZ5103, returning on the same day on Air NZ flight NZ 8114.
