Covid 19 coronavirus: Ōtāhuhu Health Centre patient tests positive

Ōtāhuhu Health Centre will shut for two days after a person enrolled at the clinic tested positive for Covid-19.

It is understood the person is one of the four who were announced positive last night; a clinic spokesperson incorrectly claimed they were not earlier today.

Both the Auckland District Health Board and Ministry of Health believe the person to be one of the four confirmed cases from last night.

It comes as an additional four probable Covid-19 cases are announced linked to the community-based coronavirus cases from last night.

The patient tested positive today after first visiting the clinic on August 6 before returning on August 10. The clinic has more than 4000 enrolled patients.

All patients who went to the clinic between August 6 and 10 are being contacted and being advised of the situation.

Following advice from the Ministry of Health, the clinic urges people to get tested at a local community testing centre and to self-isolate until results of the test are known.

The patient was first seen by a general practitioner on August 6 and they were told to go to a local community testing centre.

It was standard procedure for clinics to send patients to testing centres if they were not designated swabbing centres, the spokesperson said.

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On August 10, the patient returned to the clinic where the GP established the test had not been done and advised them to do it again as a priority at a local testing centre.

Following notification of a positive test this morning, the clinic closed immediately and will remain closed for the next 48 hours for cleaning.

All staff have been sent home to self-isolate pending confirmation of test results.