Latest positive COVID-19 cases

15 February 2021

The Ministry of Health (MoH) has today confirmed there are three new community cases detected in the Auckland region.
Last weekend two of the cases travelled to New Plymouth where they visited a number of tourist locations. At this time the cases may have been developing symptoms, but would have been unaware of this. Both cases were considered to be infectious during their visit to the region.

We know the Taranaki community will be concerned about this latest news and we want to reassure the public that Taranaki DHB’s Incident Management Team is working with the MoH to ensure we’re doing everything possible to keep our community safe.

Locations of interest will be updated on the Ministry of Health website here as they become available.

It is important to keep our community well informed so please share this information with your networks and contacts.

Positive COVID-19 case information - what you need to know

Three cases detected in the community are a mother, father and daughter from the same South Auckland household. There is one further household contact in their family unit who has returned a negative test result.
Over Waitangi weekend (6-8 February) two of the cases have travelled to New Plymouth during their infectious period.
There are a number of locations of interest in and around New Plymouth, these will be outlined on the MoH website.
We thank you for your patience as we confirm detailed times, dates and locations – this can take some time and the list will continue to be updated.
In the meantime we ask if you develop any symptoms please:

Stay home and isolate
Call Healthline to arrange a test at one of our local testing centres

Contract tracing is underway.
People who have been in the locations of interest at potential exposure times, and were using the NZ COVID-19 Tracer app, may receive a notification to get tested.
Individuals who visited any of the locations of interest at the same time and date as the COVID-19 cases are asked to stay at home, contact Healthline and get tested. Individuals will need to continue to stay at home until they receive a negative test result back.

For the most up-to-date media release from the MOH please click here.

Places and locations of interest

Locations of interest in Taranaki will be updated on the Ministry of Health website as they become available.
To see the complete list of locations of interest please click here.

For contact tracing purposes, anyone who visited one of the listed locations at the same time and date as the COVID-19 cases is considered to be a ‘casual contact’.

People who did not have exposure to these COVID-19 cases are not ‘contacts’.

Who should get tested for COVID-19

While the risk is most often very low, anyone who attended one of the locations of interest during the relevant timeframes is asked to:

stay at home
contact Healthline
get tested
wait for your test result to come back.

People who have been in the locations of interest at potential exposure times, and were using the NZ COVID-19 Tracer app, may receive a notification to get tested.

The standard advice for all of New Zealand remains that anyone with a flu-like illness should stay home and get a COVID-19 test.
If you need further advice on testing please call Healthline for free on 0800 358 5453.

If you are feeling well, do NOT have any symptoms of COVID-19 and have NOT visited any of the locations of interest you DO NOT NEED TO get tested. It is important that demand for testing is prioritised and over the coming days we will need to prioritise testing for anyone who has visited the locations of interest in Taranaki.

Testing locations in Taranaki

There are five COVID-19 community testing centres in Taranaki - New Plymouth (Base Hospital and Medicross), Waitara, Hāwera and Ōpunakē.

Please call or text the testing clinics first. If you’ve been referred to the testing clinics from your doctor/GP please go home and wait for clinic staff to contact you with a test appointment time. We ask you not to show up without an appointment, as this will help us manage the waiting times better.

There is NO CHARGE for testing; it is FREE.
All testing locations and open hours can be found on the Taranaki DHB website.

COVID-19 Tracer App and Bluetooth reminder
This is an important reminder that contact tracing is one of the most important tools we have when there are community cases. Please turn on Bluetooth in the NZ COVID Tracer app and scan QR codes wherever you go.

Using Bluetooth and scanning together keeps a private digital diary of where you have been and who you have been near, and means you will receive instant notifications about possible exposure to COVID-19.

Help keep yourself, your whānau and community safe from COVID-19
Everyone in Taranaki can do their bit to keep our community safe from COVID-19 by remaining vigilant. Please remember to:

stay home if sick with cold or flu-like symptoms and get advice on a test,
wash and dry hands,
cough and sneeze into elbows, and
scan everywhere you go.

Last updated: Monday, February 15, 2021