The final household member of the northern Hauraki house where a COVID-positive remand prisoner stayed has now been tested and results are pending, the Ministry of Health confirmed this afternoon.
“An investigation into the epidemiological link (exact route of infection) is ongoing – our working hypothesis being that the individual was infected in Auckland after leaving prison, rather than by someone in the local community where he was staying,” the health authority said.
Further tests, including whole genome sequencing of the first close contacts, are due tomorrow.
“The ongoing investigation from Auckland Regional Public Health is looking to establish epidemiological links to the wider Auckland outbreak, guided by the whole genome sequencing results as they become available.”
The Ministry said five further household members isolating at home returned negative results yesterday, “giving us confidence that they have not been infectious in the community”.
All three positive cases, and an accompanying adult caregiver, have been moved to a quarantine facility.
To date, negative results have been returned from testing of close contacts among prison staff, other prisoners, police and court staff.
A pop-up testing centre in the northern Hauraki town of Wharekawa marae in Whakatīwai has been busy today testing locals. Waikato DHB reports 340 tests have been taken as of 2pm today.
