There are 9 new COVID-19 cases to report in managed isolation, and no new cases in the community. 

The Ministry of Health says today’s managed isolation case numbers underscore the value of having the day 0/1 testing in place.

All people arriving into New Zealand must remain in their rooms until those day 0/1 tests results come back, and in these cases, all 9 people are transferred to a quarantine facility following those positive results.

It’s also not uncommon to see some of the day 0/1 cases be reclassified as historical cases, which are not infectious. This is why the MoH are continuing to publish the cumulative number of historical cases, as below.

Six previously reported cases have recovered. The total number of active cases in New Zealand is 71, and the total number of confirmed cases is 2,042.

Since January 1, there have been 37 historical cases, out of a total of 231 acute and historical cases.

Section 70
As we move down Alert Levels this weekend, some people in Auckland will still be required to remain in isolation and/or be tested.

To emphasise the importance of people following the advice they have been given by the public health units or the national contact tracing team, the Director-General of Health has issued a direction under Section 70 of the Health Act 1956.

This direction applies to the following people:

• Any person who attended the City Fitness Gym at Hunters Plaza, at 217 Great South Road, Papatoetoe, in Auckland on 20 February 2021 between 11.15am and 1.45pm, or 26 February 2021 between 3.25pm and 4.30pm; and
• Anyone who has already been contacted by Auckland Regional Public Health Service and advised they are a close plus, close or casual plus contact during this outbreak and who is still required to isolate and/or be tested to continue to comply with the instructions they have been given by the public health unit

Under the section 70, these people are required to do three things:

1. To isolate at their usual home;
2. To report for and undergo medical testing for COVID-19 at a time and place to be specified by a medical officer of health; and
3. Except as required in order to undergo testing as directed, to remain isolated until they receive further direction from a medical officer of health.

A Section 70 order enables an authorised Medical Officer of Health to require those in the order to meet public health requirements to undergo testing and to isolate until they receive their result. It also enables those affected to be visited immediately at homes or at work by Auckland public health officials.

Any time a person receives a direction from a medical officer of health they must comply with it.

Public health officials will also discuss with these people the support available to help them meet these requirements.

"A lot of work by public health officials is continuing to ensure these people are followed up and supported as part of the country’s wider response to keep New Zealanders safe. We want to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved for their continued efforts," The MoH said.

Testing update
On Friday, 9,471 tests were processed. More than 71,000 tests have been processed in the last week, with a seven-day rolling average up to yesterday of 10,159 tests processed.

The total number of tests processed by laboratories to date is 1,772,480.

There are 7 community testing centres open in Auckland today.

The centres are in Northcote, Balmoral, Henderson, Lloyd Elsmore Park in Botany, Wiri, Otara and Takanini.

For up-to-date information on testing locations in Auckland visit www.arphs.health.nz/covid19test, for all testing locations nationwide visit www.healthpoint.co.nz/covid-19/.

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