The Covid-19 case who discharged themselves from Middlemore Hospital is now being moved to a quarantine facility. See how the day's Covid-19 news unfolded with RNZ's live blog.
More than 60 patients at Middlemore Hospital are being considered close contacts after two people with the virus turned up at the emergency department.
The two people went to the emergency department on Wednesday for non-Covid reasons and later returned positive results.
Speaking at today's government briefing - where it was revealed there were 19 new cases - Director of Public Health Dr Caroline McElnay said the one case who discharged themselves in now being moved into isolation. The other is in an isolation ward at Middlemore Hospital.
Of the 66 patients considered close contacts, 34 remain in the hospital and have been moved to isolation wards and the others are being followed up for testing. No Middlemore staff have been required to stand down.
Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson said today there was not a problem at the hospitals: "They will be a centre for people who are feeling unwell to go."
Contacts from cases at hospitals are out of an abundance of caution, he said.
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