Covid 19 coronavirus Delta outbreak: Air NZ crew member tests positive

An Air New Zealand aircrew member has tested positive for Covid-19, according to a staff update seen by the Herald.

The update from the airline's chief operational integrity and safety officer David Morgan said the fully-vaccinated person tested positive on today as part of a regular surveillance testing programme.

Their last duty was flight NZ90 which arrived in Auckland from Narita in Japan on Sunday.

Air New Zealand says they're now isolating, and other crew and customers who are close contacts are being advised.

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They were doing well and their manager was doing everything they could to support them.

It comes has New Zealand ends its first day in alert level 4 lockdown, after a number of Covid-19 cases emerged in the community.

The first - identified yesterday - is a 58-year-old Devonport man who had visited Coromandel over the weekend with his wife.

Both Auckland and Coromandel have been plunged into lockdown for seven day while the rest of the country will stay at the highest alert level for three days.

Air New Zealand is organising more than 800 flights for 50,000 passengers to get Kiwis who were away from home when the lockdown was announced back to their place of residence.

Airline chief executive Greg Foran told Newstalk ZB's Mike Hosking this morning that this was a major logistical challenge, but that the airline was prepared to deliver.

Foran said there were more than 3000 New Zealanders currently in Rarotonga who would also need to come home at some stage.