Covid 19 coronavirus: Person with virus attended Auckland football match

A person who tested positive for Covid-19 this week was a spectator at a club football match on Saturday.

Close contacts have been identified and are now being contacted, Auckland United Football Club president Andrew Lawson wrote in an email to players, parents and supporters at noon today.

"We have received notification from the Auckland Regional Public Health Service (ARPHS) that a spectator at a 9th grade game on the weekend (8 August) has since tested positive for Covid-19," he wrote in the email under the subject line "COVID-19 case in the Three Kings United / Auckland United community".

"We have worked with ARPHS to identify close contacts of this spectator, we have notified them, and ARPHS is working through contacting all of them with next steps."

Other teams were not being contacted, Lawson wrote.

"Due to our field layouts and social distancing precautions, they are not contacting other teams.

"ARPHS has informed us that the risk is very low, however please call your doctor or Healthline (0800 358 5453) if you or your child has any symptoms. They will explain what to do. You can also visit www.arphs.health.nz or www.covid19.govt.nz

"We wish the person with Covid-19 a speedy recovery, and we hope to see you all out on the fields playing football again soon."

Matches for all grades were already cancelled for this weekend, he wrote.

There are 12 new confirmed cases of Covid in the community and one probable case, director general of Health Ashley Bloomfield announced this afternoon.

One of the 13 cases is in hospital. All the new cases are linked to the existing cluster, though one - the person in Auckland Hospital - is still under investigation.

Two of the confirmed cases are in Tokoroa and are connected to a family member of the South Auckland family which first tested positive this week, sparking a level 3 lockdown in Auckland and level 2 for the rest of the country.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will announce whether those lockdowns will end, be continued or upgraded after Cabinet meets later this afternoon.