WELLINGTON (Xinhua): New Zealand reported five cases of COVID-19 in managed isolation on Monday, with one border-related case reported Sunday to be officially added to Monday’s tally.
There are no new cases in the community, according to the Ministry of Health.
The border-related case, an airline crew member, was identified Sunday as a part of routine surveillance testing. The person has been transferred to Auckland’s quarantine facility, and household contacts have tested negative but remained in isolation at home as a precaution, said a ministry statement.
As the case has remained symptom-free, public health staff are conservatively considering that the patient has been infectious since the last negative test on Feb. 28, it said.
“The most likely scenario being investigated by health staff is that the air crew member was exposed overseas and therefore, most likely was either incubating, or infectious with, COVID-19 before being vaccinated later in the week,” the statement said.
The vaccine requires two doses and takes around two weeks until it begins to provide protection. The crew member has had the first dose. The second dose is given at least 21 days after the first, it said.
