COVID-19 update 30 September 2021

News article

30 September 2021

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield will update the media today at 1pm.

A livestream will be available from this page.

>> For the benefit of viewers, that is not handwringing, that is hand sanitising.

-- Kia ora koutou katoa.

I will hand over to the Director-General of health for an update.

>> Thank you.

Kia ora koutou katoa.

Today there are 19 new cases in the community.

18 in Auckland and one is in Northern Hauraki, student at Mangatangi School who is already in isolation.

Today post my case numbers take out total in the outbreak to 1249.

There are also six cases in managed isolation to report today.

After day's cases 16 are known household or other contacts, one is a household contact who had not previously been identified and one is a possible contact.

Looking back to yesterday's large number of cases, four remain unlinked with investigations ongoing.

Delta's high infectiousness has played out within a house that underpinned some numbers we have reported over recent days.

We know from a number of the already notified contacts in our system we are expecting another 30 or so cases over coming days from day five and a 12 testing.

Just regarding where our current cases are coming from, 19 of our recent cases have been.

Are linked to transitional or emergency housing.

This is some but by no means all of our new cases.

Just going back to Mangatangi School, as I mentioned earlier, one is a student from the school, in Upper Hauraki isolating at home for the last 10 days.

The positive result was returned because the student became symptomatic and was tested around day 11.

A small number of household contacts of the student are being followed up by the public health staff today.

The student is one of 98 who have now received day 12 tests, both students and staff, 96 negative results have been returned, this one positive result and the final outstanding test is expected to be done today.

The student was initially tested negative that was retested when they developed symptoms in the last few days.

As this case has been in isolation at home the risk of spread is currently regarded as low.

The student is transferring to a quarantine facility in Auckland with a family member.

Not included in the case numbers today, there is a positive result in a managed isolated worker in a hotel, still being investigated to determine if it is border- related or part of a community outbreak and genome sequencing is being done.

The worker is fully vaccinated and was last tested on 14 September and this positive result was picked up again through regular fortnightly testing.

Public health staff are making enquiries today to check if any other staff or returnees require additional testing or action.

On the subject of testing you will be aware there is both targeted and surveillance, wider surveillance testing underway in Auckland.

There were over 11,000 tests in Auckland yesterday.

Suburbs of interest have been updated.

Otara is no longer one of the suburbs of interest and Henderson and Papakura now are.

We want the ones in the areas of interest to please come forward and get tested whether or not you have symptoms.

This is to ensure we both find some dramatic cases but also undertake surveillance testing to check if there are any unidentified chains of transmission.

The testing teams in Auckland are also going out to around 40 transitional and emergency housing sites over coming days to offer testing to all those residents.

Most important, though, people anywhere they are across the region, if you have any flu or cold symptoms, no matter how mild, get tested.

I wanted to run, as has been reported already, follow-up collections of wastewater in Tauranga have come back negative.

There will be further follow-up testing in coming days to provide further reassurance.

-- Tauranga.

Back to the subject of long covered.

We are learning about the long- term effects of COVID-19 infection, what is now referred to as long COVID.

To be clear, long COVID is (inaudible).

A new study by the University of Oxford and the UK National Institute for health research found more than one in three people with COVID-19 will experience at least one symptom of long COVID.

This study included more than 270,000 people recovering there.

They found 37 % of patients had at least one long COVID symptom, diagnose 3 to 6 months after infection, the most common symptoms breathing problems, abdominal symptoms, fatigue, pain and anxiety or depression.

Although people who get flu or other viral illnesses can also have prolonged postviral symptoms, this study found the symptoms linked to COVID were 50% more common than those.

In those who had COVID compared to people who had flu and finally, I would like to acknowledge a free new taxi service which begins in Auckland today to help get more people vaccinated there.

Auckland's Co-op Blue Bubble Taxis have transferred people who have previously been unable to get the vaccination centres for free.

This is for people unable to (inaudible) -- you have not -- you are having first doses.

It is a great initiative.

>> Thank you, Dr Bloomfield.

As you can see there has been some volatility in cases in recent days.

At this stage, though, we continue to have more control of the COVID outbreak in Auckland and control is key.

We simply do not have enough people vaccinated in Auckland or in New Zealand to tolerate a widespread outbreak.

But maintaining that control is not a given and the public health team in Auckland need our help.

Firstly, while we put on the individual armour of the vaccine, we still need the restrictions that we are using.

I know they are hard, I know they are incredibly hard, and they will ease, but for now they're doing a job for us stop that is why we need people to keep following them.

This is also an important time to remind people this is not an outbreak that is in one part of tamariki Macquarie.

In fact we have a cluster present in West Auckland.

That is why we need everyone on high alert but with a particular focus on some new additional suburbs we have talked about today Henderson and Papakura.

We are asking people with even mild symptoms to be tested in those areas but again across all of New Zealand if you have symptoms, please be tested by particularly Anderson and Papakura we are adding to our list.

The second (inaudible) as always is vaccines.

Since the outbreak began, Aucklanders have turned out in force and have done a brilliant job but there is some way to go.

We need everyone to be double vaccinated.

We know it can and will make a difference even for this outbreak.

Only 3% of our cases in this outbreak were fully vaccinated.

Obviously, the vast majority were not.

Vaccines matter.

They keep us safe, they helping us control this outbreak and they will literally give you choices in the future.

83% of eligible Aucklanders have turned out to get their first dose and across the rest of the country, 80% of those over the age of 12 have either had their first dose or are booked for their first dose, which is fantastic.

But we have seen that achieving 90% is possible.

Groups within New Zealand are already showing us this.

Nationally, 92% of our over 65 is have had the first COVID vaccine and nearly 90% have either had or are booked in to have their second.

It is possible to hit 90.

We need everyone to put that effort in.

That is why it is great to see regions across New Zealand are entering into a bit of competitive spirit with Canterbury businesses launching a 90% we are worth it campaign and the top of the south attributing the high vaccination rates to freezing work visits and stadium clinics.

Local Chambers, councils and businesses are showing incredible leadership to drive up our vaccination numbers.

They know as I know that we can be world leading and getting our population vaccinated.

While vaccinations have been available at more than 1400 different places today, sometimes it is a matter of getting there that get in the way.

That is why want to again reiterate the new service that Dr Bloomfield has just mentioned, a free taxi and shuttle service to get people to community vaccination centres.

As he said, it is available from tomorrow for families of all sizes who cannot drive or do not have transport to be vaccinated.

If you are someone who needs this service, you can contact zero 800, 28 zero 800, 2829 26.

That is zero 828 2926.

That is the vaccine helpline.

Also today is the second day of the Drive Through Vaccination -- centre and is running until 4:30 PM today.

On Friday and Saturday there is a pop-up drive through at Henderson high school and another for the Samoan community at an event centre.

There is also a testing and vaccination two-day session beginning at Bunnings in Monaco today, so if you're popping down for some click and collect you can also be both tested and vaccinated at the same place.

-- Manukau.

If it is stopping from you getting a vaccine, can ask employers to give employees the gift of time and encourage them to get the job.

People are always our greatest asset and is there any great way to show employees who care than by keeping them well?

Please do it today.

It is our ticket to greater freedom and greater control.

Before hand over to questions, I want to acknowledge the significant policy announcement made today on the pathway to residency.

We have talked a lot about the team of 5 million.

Some of the team have been here for the entire time of COVID but on visas that have not given them certainty for the long term.

Some may have been here more recently but have skills that are scarce and we need to hold onto.

So for those who are settled, skilled and scarce, we are offering a pathway to residency that acknowledges the one off situation we are in with this pandemic.

This represents the most significant announcement in immigration policy in recent memory.

It is one that we have been working hard on behind the scenes for many months but one we are also very proud of.

I know this will be a welcome move communities, for employers and for the team of 5 million as a whole.

 

Minister Chris will answer questions on this announcement at the conclusion of this stand-up, so roughly half past.

We are happy to take questions.

>> Will the cab drivers have to be vaccinated?

The places where they encourage vaccination as well as testing, and with the COVID numbers, are you encouraging those people to get vaccinated?

>> On the arrangements around the taxi service, I don't have the details, so I believe that Doctor Bloomfield, but on transitional housing, the initial focus is a test and they want to go through that quickly and efficiently and that is the focus.

They are making plans to return with the vaccine program for those who have not been vaccinated and that is part of the planning and more generally were taking that approach with communities because they have been identified as COVID cases or contacts and so conversations are happening almost immediately about the future if they are positive case around making sure when the time is right to vaccinate family and friends as well.

I'm told many of those conversations are positive because people fully understand the impact of COVID.

>> Thanks, Prime Minister.

The team in Auckland is moving to more combine testing and vaccination opportunities and there is one outside the Bunnings in Manakau and you go and get your vaccination and you get a free test thrown in as well.

The same bus, different sides of the bus.

>> Is there a sausage?

>> There might be.

On the question of the cab drivers, they are not required to be vaccinated and I would be surprised if the cab drivers had not been vaccinated.

>> Would you consider keeping the boundary in place so people cannot leave the city?

>> I would like to signal the high likelihood of the boundary remaining and I think I or that level of certainty to people from Auckland and yes we are giving full consideration to easing the boundaries and there are a number of ways we can consider that.

Those are all the conversations that we are having now based on the data and information that we have.

What is not in consideration presently is the idea of removing the regional boundary at that time and I'm happy to give that clarity and I know it will be hard to hear but it is not one of the things we are currently considering.

>> Is the taxi fleet a government funded initiative?

>> Doctor Bloomfield.

>> I'm not sure how big the Blue Bubble Taxis fleet is.

>> We are funding it is part of the programme.

It is a free service.

>> How long do you intended to run for?

>> I don't have the length of time but we are doing this at the same time we're going into people's homes if they have accessibility issues and so that is for the disabled community and we have a program that allows us to safely vaccinate at home.

You can imagine there is a reasonable number of confined people but also there are those with transport issues and is not necessarily they have a disability but they have a transport issue.

>> Sorry, Derek.

>> A broader picture about where we are covering at the moment?

Are we still looking at the three clusters?

Are we looking at it-9 suburbs of concern?

-- 9-9.

I know there are potential cases in the North Shore and Albany.

>> That the three sections and that is about all I can deal with.

The middle one - there are seven suburbs of interest and Phil Henderson comes off the list.

On the question of the outbreak and how it has evolved, two days ago there were four clusters of interest that were active and there are no two new sub clusters, one of which they are calling the south-east cluster, that household cluster, five households and that, and then there are one that was identified today in West Auckland, the West Auckland cluster, and those two sub clusters are giving rise to new cases at the moment and of the other ones that were active, none of those have a new cases in the past few days and so it is really these two newly identified subclasses that are the ones giving rise to acute cases.

>> We had a discussion around the source of those two clusters - South-East Auckland and West Auckland under one of them, there appears to be a link and with the other it appears there is a link to an existing cluster.

Given what the team are managing, they are being identified separately.

>> The transitional housing places, and the part of the sub clusters you have identified?

>> Certainly with the South- Eastern Auckland Cluster, some of the households involved are transitional housing but there are no specific households involved in either of those two clusters.

>> To the cases in the last two months fit into those suburbs or sub clusters?

>> I have to come back to you on that but at the moment the total number of unlinked cases, 15, I think.

>> 15 over the past 14 days.

>> The media release.

>> We might come back and consolidate because the previous 24 hours, we are often able to draw those linkages and that reduces the unlinked cases and that is the report I have had on the daily today but we will come back with the unconsolidated list for you.

Often, over time, as you will he was referencing, with these two new clusters, there are linkages back to the existing outbreak, even though some of them might not have a conclusive source.

>> The case in Albany and one of the unlinked cases is seeing the spread of the virus increasing.

>> I don't know exactly because Albany did not come up in any discussions but I think the case is linked to the West Auckland grouping but we can come back and confirm that.

>> I have a theory that I know the one you are talking about but I do not want to be wrong so I will not hazard a guess.

>> With the most vulnerable in emergency accommodation, they are often dealing with multiple people and issues with public health and that creates anxiety.

Why is this still happening 18 months in?

>> I'm surprised to hear that because that is not the message we're getting.

In fact, there is a very clear approach now in Auckland.

Not just in this outbreak but started in August last year with the South Auckland outbreak but certainly in this outbreak, very early on, with a large number of cases in households and Pacific churches, there was a very visible handover of the leadership following up to the Pacific providers there and likewise in the last couple of weeks we have had these cases and groupings in emergency and transitional housing.

There is a specific incident management team which has been set up, lead, not by the public health unit, but by the Northern Regional Centre and the whole range of government agencies, Maori, Pacific, mental health, and addiction involved.

>> We can list those providers after the press conference and establish what might be going on but as far as we are advised, the teams on the ground are working closely together and we know providers have the closest links and relationships with family and we have been proactively using them and funding them to support the response.

We will see if we can weed out what is going on.

Is that related?

I will quickly finish with you and then come over here.

>> Of the emergency transitional powers, are we talking about a few households, lots of apartments, how many places potentially?

The response yesterday said they would come and identify testing.

Can you give us a clarification?

>> There are two parts to that and first of all the sort of transitional emergency housing places involved is a mix of some hostiles, motels, and actual houses.-- hostels.

Because of the nature of the arrangements, people are often moving between them and hence the mix.

The 40 figure, of the 73 emergency housing locations are places in Auckland, the team had identified 40 that they thought were medium to high risk and mostly because of where they were geographically located, but places with cases already, and the plan is to focus on all of those parts of surveillance testing because there is often movement between different emergency transitional housing places.

>> And one could be an entire motel?

>> That is right.

>> And there are hundreds?

>> If there are 40, it could potentially be hundreds.

>> That is because we have identified a risk for surveillance as opposed to this being part of specific contact tracing.

>> With regards to the person on the 17th, can you confirm the person was not infectious and how much more do we know?

>> I can confirm that they were not infectious while they were there and there has been a forensic look about to make sure we are 100% confident around that and I know that there is wastewater testing there and the number of places in the north and we would have to go back to the results for the time.

>> And at the police station, of their going to have any connection between the closure of the police station and the sub cluster.

>> Not that I know of, but we can check that.

>> Can you tell us the date?

>> The 20.

>> We had a test on the 24th.

I will come back to you.

>> On long COVID, we have so many people already suffering.

What is the plan for them?

>> We are right to point that out and there are people who, through the first lockdown, who experience COVID well over one year ago and they continue to report symptoms and I've spoken to several of them and is devastating the impact that COVID has continued to have on their lives and the research is important in making sure the health system knows how to work and support those individuals but also just working hard to prevent too many other people from experiencing potentially the effects of long COVID.

On the medical response, Doctor Bloomfield.

>> I would like to point to 2 things.

One, we have a clinical pathway in place now for primary care to use to diagnose and support people with long COVID symptoms.

I was reading an article about this over the weekend and there are three different clusters of symptoms that have been identified in the international research and they are quite extensive, the range of symptoms.

That is one thing that is in place and the other is we have funded a study of people in New Zealand and that is getting underway and this is people who have had COVID to follow them and see what the long COVID symptoms are that they have and what happens prospectively in terms of some resolution of what else happens.

-- Symptoms resolution.

>> If their plan for help with doctors bills?

>> There is no specific funding but people who are eligible for these services, including the usual subsidies that would be in effect, the government provides for that.

>> On average, there are about 4001st doses in Auckland at the moment.

-- 4000 of the first doses.

So it could take roughly 60 days to get Auckland to 90%.

Is that what you are planning for?

Is that good enough?

How are you going to ramp that up so it does not take two months?

>> There is a calculation based on what we have said and we had at 83% at the moment but what we know is that we have the ability to get to 90% very quickly.

We have the capacity that we need to achieve the goal pretty much almost immediately.

It comes down to all of us.

The one thing that we know, because we keep asking questions and trying to undertake research, and for those who may not yet have had their first dose, they want to talk to someone who is reluctant as well.

If you are someone who is reluctant to get their first dose but made the decision to do so, please talk to someone else because it will make a really big difference to help them make that decision.

We are at the hard end now and those who took convincing are done and now we are that the people who need a conversation so please reach out and have one.

>> On the Auckland boundary, how long will that be in place?

>> We want movement again, create a huge amount of work and stress and anxiety for those separated but we want that back but it needs to be safe.

We still have an outbreak.

We will continue to assess the role of the regional boundary as we go but at the moment it is not one of the things I expect to be lifted on Monday.

>> (Inaudible) could it be until Auckland gets to the 90% vaccination threshold?

>> That is not something we have made any direct connection to but what I would say is our modellers are already telling us that vaccines are making a difference to these out, so to help us manage this outbreak, to give you more freedoms in the future, potentially to access large gatherings in the future, please get vaccinated.

>> Following on, what are some specifics you have given regarding the boundary?

>> For us actually, the more obvious question for us is what we will be looking forward to ease restrictions.

The boundary is not the first cab off the rank for decisions on Monday.

There all other things that will be looking to to consider low risk for consideration.

>> A last question from Ben.

>> Over the last few days we have seen (inaudible) John Key (inaudible) on COVID and ending political consensus and arguments on the margins.

(Inaudible) obviously not there, so the question is how big a problem is that your government?

At that impact vaccination or -- compliance rates or anything else?

>> At the core, what everyone is arguing for is still there.

Everyone wants high vaccination rates, as few restrictions as possible and to eventually move away from restrictions at the border.

What we are debating is how you phase those things safely and my view is that phasing is key here.

Very few countries around the world have pulled away their border restrictions first.

For me that is not a safe way to manage COVID.

We need to make sure we get our domestic settings right so we can have as few restrictions were people domestically as possible before we start making these alterations at the border and that requires good, decent vaccines.

>> (Inaudible) about immigration, there is heartache around the delay.

Can you explain why it takes so long to get those policy wheels churning and whether you will give a pledge of sorts to hasten the application so it is not years in the making?

>> The reason we took time to do this work was so when we announced it when you we have designed it in such a way that we could move a large number of people to residency applications quickly.

The other reason it has taken some time for us to develop and consider this is because you will be hard-pressed to find a decision in immigration policy in recent history as significant as this one.

This is a large number of people already here in New Zealand make a huge contribution.

We want to give them the ability to stay and continue to contribute but that is not a switch you flick lightly or quickly.

We have considered it properly and well and we believe it will make a big difference for those who will be affected by it.

Thanks, everyone.

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