Covid 19 Delta outbreak: Seven more residents and a staff member test positive at Auckland rest home

Two residents who tested positive for Covid-19 at an Auckland care home have been transferred to hospital while five others are being cared for within the facility.

A day after an initial positive Covid-19 case was announced at Edmonton Meadows Care Home, seven residents and a staff member have tested positive for the virus.

A Health Ministry spokesman said 52 residents and 40 staff had been tested for the virus, and other than the nine positive cases reported, all other test results have been returned and are negative.

"Any residents that require care in a hospital setting will be transferred accordingly," the spokesman said.

"Aged residential care facilities are well versed in infection prevention and control measures and have processes in place to care for Covid-19 positive residents while ensuring the safety of other residents and staff."

He said Edmonton Meadows continues to be supported by Public Health and Waitematā District Health Board.

A fully vaccinated resident at the facility in Henderson tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday.

Today, the Ministry of Health said seven more residents and a member of staff had now also tested positive, bringing the total number of cases in the rest home to nine.

"It's important to note there are high levels of vaccination among residents of the home, and all staff are fully vaccinated," a Ministry of Health spokesman said.

It is still unclear how the virus got into the rest home.

All staff and residents at the privately-owned facility have now been tested and would also receive day five and day 12 testing.

Auckland Regional Public Health staff are providing support at the 60-bed care home and the only staff member who had to be stood down at this stage was the one who had tested positive.

The rest home offers hospital, dementia and rest home care.

"The retirement village has been operating under alert level 3 guidelines for visitors, meaning people have only been able to visit the village on compassionate grounds," the Ministry spokesman said.

The Herald was told on Thursday night that a female resident at Edmonton Meadows had returned a positive test result.

The Ministry said investigations were underway to determine the source of the infection.

A source said the woman "started showing symptoms ... high temperatures, rash, dry cough and feeling unwell last Friday".

Last year, a Christchurch rest home became New Zealand's deadliest Covid-19 cluster. In all, 12 fatalities were linked to the Rosewood rest home. It was found to have breached its obligations including cleaning services and emergency provision of personal supplies.

Six rest homes had Covid-19 cases and some ended transmission quickly.

But two of them, Rosewood and CHT St Margaret's residential aged-care home in Auckland's Te Atatū, accounted for 16 of New Zealand's 22 Covid-linked deaths at the time.