Covid 19 coronavirus: Weta staff warned after visitor tests positive for Covid-19

Name: Focus Live: 13 new Covid-19 cases in the community
Uploaded: 2020-08-18T13:00:01+12:00
Duration: 565 s
Description: There are 13 new Covid cases in the community, Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield says. Twelve are linked to the current cluster and one remains under investigation but is believed to be linked.

NZ Herald

17 Aug, 2020 11:35 PM2 mins to read

There are 13 new Covid cases in the community, Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield says. Twelve are linked to the current cluster and one remains under investigation but is believed to be linked.

Staff at The Weta Cave have been told to watch for flu-like symptoms after a recent visitor later tested positive for Covid-19.

A visitor spent half an hour at the workshop on Thursday, August 6, between 9.15am and 9.45am.

Weta Workshop general manager David Wilks confirmed they received information from the Ministry of Health after the visit.

"The ministry advised us that the visitor was asymptomatic when they visited and was only on the premises for a very short period. They did not do a tour."

Health officials said the person involved had later tested positive to Covid-19 on arrival overseas.

Despite the scare, the risk level from the visit was considered to be "very low", ministry staff said.

But as a precaution, staff had been advised to monitor their health closely and to be vigilant for any symptoms of Covid-19.

The Weta Cave is open and operating as usual, but under alert level 2 guidelines.

Regular deep cleaning of the property has also been carried out - on top of stringent daily cleaning and hygienic practices - since it was opened again in level 1.