Sunday 10 January 2021

Towards a January 15 lockdown?

 Covid-19: Health officials confirm 31 new cases of coronavirus, first case of South African variant found


Stuff,

10 January, 2021


There have been 31 new cases of Covid-19 over three days at the border, including 11 international mariners.

There are currently 75 active cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand, all in managed isolation.

Of those, 19 have been identified as the highly-transmissible B.1.1.7 strain from the UK – most of these people have travelled into the country from the UK, via the UAE, Qatar or Singapore, health authorities said.

This brings the total number of confirmed cases in New Zealand to date to 1863.

The new cases arrived from all over the world, including the UK, India, Zimbabwe, Austria, Russia, the Ukraine and Poland.

On Sunday, the Ministry of Health said the number of new cases reinforced the need for ongoing vigilance at the border, particularly as Covid-19 continues to “accelerate” overseas.

The Ministry said it was continuing to monitor overseas developments “very closely” through the holiday period.

South African strain detected

New Zealand has recorded its first case of a South African strain of Covid-19 after earlier finding cases of the UK strain had got in.

Both strains of the virus are more-transmissible than regular Covid-19.

The South African strain – 501.V2 – was detected in New Zealand within the past three days.

Oxford University regius professor of medicine Sir John Bell recently said his "gut feeling" was that the vaccines already on stream would be effective against the new UK strain first identified in Kent.

“[But] I don't know about the South African strain, I think that's a big question mark.”

Bell told Times Radio he was more concerned about this strain than the UK one “by some margin”.

“The mutations associated with the South African form are really pretty substantial changes in the structure of the protein,” he said.

The Ministry of Health said the person with the South African strain had come to New Zealand from South African via United Arab Emirates.

The variant was discovered in genome testing.

The patient was now in quarantine.

International mariners

Eleven cases which arrived on January 6 were from a group of international mariners.

Only three of these cases were current, while eight have been identified as historical cases.

A total of 190 mariners arrived on Wednesday and are staying in managed isolation and quarantine facilities in Christchurch.

Health authorities said MIQs had strengthened procedures to ensure the international mariners posed no increased risk to others in the facilities.
JOSEPH JOHNSON/STUFF
Health authorities said MIQs had strengthened procedures to ensure the international mariners posed no increased risk to others in the facilities.

The Ministry of Health said these MIQs had strengthened procedures and protocols to ensure the risk to others in the group and in the facilities is reduced.

A number of mariners were not able to board flights to New Zealand after testing positive during newly-introduced pre-departure testing, it said.

When will life return to normal?

vaccinologist has made her prediction on when New Zealand’s borders could open again.

Vaccinologist Helen Petousis-Harris said the pandemic would likely need to be beaten back in other countries before Kiwis can travel overseas freely again.
DAVID WHITE/STUFF
Vaccinologist Helen Petousis-Harris said the pandemic would likely need to be beaten back in other countries before Kiwis can travel overseas freely again.

Dr Helen Petousis-Harris, an associate professor at Auckland University, said two things needed to happen before the country could travel freely overseas again, or welcome travellers here.

“One, generate immunity in most of our population and two, beat the pandemic back in other countries.

“It is likely we will start vaccinating against Covid-19 here in NZ after March.”

There must be a great enough production of vaccine doses, and the resources to deliver them.

Vaccines must also be deployed in low and middle-income countries as thoroughly as they are in high-income countries, she said.


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