Covid 19 coronavirus Delta outbreak: Second quarantine facility for Auckland, options for Wgtn, Chch

Name: Focus: NZ Delta outbreak | Wednesday 25th Aug Wrap
Uploaded: 2021-08-25T17:56:04+12:00
Description: A daily wrap of all the main developments in the Covid-19 Delta outbreak as New Zealand is plunged into lockdown for the fifth time. Video / Mark Mitchell / Brett Phibbs / Michael Craig

NZ Herald

25 Aug, 2021 08:52 PM2 mins to read

A daily wrap of all the main developments in the Covid-19 Delta outbreak as New Zealand is plunged into lockdown for the fifth time. Video / Mark Mitchell / Brett Phibbs / Michael Craig

The Ministry of Health is setting up a new quarantine facility in Auckland - and looking at potential other options elsewhere - as it deals with a relentless spike in positive Covid-19 cases.

After eight days in level 4 lockdown, New Zealand currently has 210 Covid cases, but director general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield told media this morning a steady number of new cases was flowing in yesterday afternoon and overnight.

While cases were rising so were the number of contacts and locations of interest, which at 8am today sat at nearly 20,000 and 491 respectively.

He told Newstalk ZB this morning that although he didn't have a number of cases from overnight - they would continue to be revealed at 1pm - they were again expecting a "pretty decent number today".

An MIQ spokesman said yesterday there were 70 beds available at 9.30am - before a new batch of 62 new cases were announced.

Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said yesterday that Jet Park could be out of beds by tonight.

Given the pressure on Jet Park, Bloomfield told TVNZ's Breakfast today "another couple of hundred" beds could be made available at a second quarantine facility in Auckland.

If the situation continued to put pressure on facilities, Bloomfield said there were still options for people to quarantine in facilities in Wellington and Christchurch.

He said they were expecting another high number of cases today as numbers had continued to flow in yesterday afternoon and overnight.

He acknowledged the work the public were doing to get tested and self-isolate.

"We're getting there. People are doing what they need to do."

Bloomfield said they expected to only see cases linked to the current Auckland cluster and the virus appeared to be spreading through families linked to the cluster.

Speaking about the alert levels, he said he could not see anything happening other than a step down to level 3 for anywhere outside of Auckland - when it happens.