Hundreds of people are being asked to stay home and get a Covid-19 test today after a Northland woman tested positive for the virus.
Businesses visited by Northland’s community Covid-19 case say they are “angry and frustrated” at not being contacted by health officials, with some resorting to Healthline for guidance.
Stuff has spoken to 11 businesses who say they weren’t contacted by the Ministry of Health, leaving some unsure whether to remain open or close for a deep clean. Some said they had been waiting on hold for hours in an attempt to get guidance from Healthline.
LAWRENCE SMITH/Stuff
Covid 19 coronavirus: Calls to Healthline s hotline spike following Northland case
25 Jan, 2021 04:51 AM
6 minutes to read
NZ Herald
Calls to Healthline s dedicated Covid-19 information line have more than quadrupled in recent days, leading to increased wait times for callers.
A 56-year-old woman from Northland tested positive for Covid-19 after completing the required 14 days of managed isolation at the Pullman Hotel in Auckland.
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Before developing symptoms, she travelled to a number of places around the southern part of Northland.
A full list of those locations, including two new shops - Carpet Court and Farmers in Whangarei - is at the bottom of this story.
International travel and managed isolation The woman departed New Zealand late last year and travelled through Spain and the Netherlands. While she was in the Netherlands she was in contact with family members who later tested positive for the virus. She departed London, travelling via Singapore, and arrived in Auckland on December 30. The woman completed her two-week stint in managed isolation at the Pullman Hotel in Auckland. During this time, she was tested twice – on January 2 and January 10 – and both tests returned negative results. This woman was given the all clear and left the facility on January 13. There were around 600 guests at the hotel at the same time as this woman. Around 13 people tested positive during that time, some with the more virulent strain.
Queensland has been put on high alert after coronavirus was found in sewage at a string of wastewater treatment plants, including three in Brisbane.
Viral fragments of the virus were detected at facilities in the state capital, as well as those servicing Hervey Bay - such as one in Maryborough.
In total, seven plants showed evidence of the virus - Caboolture South, Oxley Creek, Bundamba, Gibson Island, Luggage Point, Maryborough and Pulgul.
While it is not unexpected for the virus to be detected in Brisbane s waters, due to infections in hotel quarantine, the other plants are a cause for concern.