Covid 19 coronavirus: Lodger of family in Auckland cluster not in quarantine

A lodger in the same household as one of the families at the centre of Auckland's latest Covid-19 cluster is self-isolating at home instead of in a quarantine facility, the Ministry of Health has revealed.

The Ministry and Auckland Regional Public Health Service (ARPHS) are aware of the man, who is a close contact of a case in one of the households.

They are self-isolating with daily management and have been tested, a ministry spokesperson told the Herald.

"The person has been self-isolating since the time he might have developed the disease, has returned a negative result and will be tested a second time in the coming days."

The remainder of the household has been transferred to Auckland's quarantine facility at the Jet Park Hotel.

It is not compulsory that the man is moved to the Jet Park facility, the Ministry said, but the option was discussed with all close contacts by ARPHS.

"Public health officials are comfortable with the situation and the way the risks are being managed," the Ministry told the Herald.

When asked why the lodger was not in quarantine, the Ministry said: "it's important that we respect people's privacy and we have nothing further to add."

ARPHS has been approached for comment.

The Valentine's Day cluster has spread across four families in south Auckland, with 15 positive cases.

It began with a Papatoetoe High School Year 9 student who started showing symptoms, and spread further when two mothers from different households went for a walk during Auckland's three-day February lockdown. The source of the cluster is still unknown.

There have been no new cases in four days, but Auckland remains in alert level 3 and the rest of the country in alert level 2.