Today, Monday the 14th of September, we are standing by for the latest announcement on COVID-19 levels for Aotearoa - live from Dunedin!

Jacinda has taken the podium.
The greetings have begun
We are starting with an update of the Auckland cluster.

It's been two weeks, or one full transmission cycle, since we moved to level 2.5

There have been 32 cases linked directly to the Auckland cluster.

We have not found any transmission within wider Aotearoa.
The funeral event within the church has directly lead to another 15 cases that have been identified thus far, and it raises concerns.

Last time we moved down levels, we had been 26 days without any transmission.
Here we continue to see cases emerge, we haven't yet hit the tail
While our aim is to speedily move down levels, our priority is to ensure we don't bounce back up levels as that economic uncertainty is a killer of economies.
Auckland will continue to stay in Level 2.5.

The next review is on Monday the 21st of September, with potentially moving levels on Wednesday the 23rd of September.
The rest of Aotearoa will continue to stay at Level 2.

The plan is to move down to Level 1 on Wednesday the 23rd of September, this will be confirmed either way on Monday the 21st.

This is because current modelling shows a 25% chance of wider transmission with travel.
Masks continue to be compulsory on public transport.
However!
Physical distancing no longer needs to be enforced at Level 2.

(No specific mention of Level 2.5)
Last time we moved from Level 2 to Level 1, we saw a massive economic bounce back. We are hoping to see this happen again, although our overall economic outlook is weaker than we would have liked it's still looking really good overall.
We have seen other countries open up and lock back down as their second waves hit.

Our second wave has been small and we've done well to contain it. We've seen that our short game, supporting our elimination strategy, is doing great!
Q&A time has begun.

I'll summarise.

There's no mics for the audience, so it'll be a bit of guess work on question wording but I'll do my best.
Q: If these decisions are still a week away, why are you signalling that they're going to happen now?

A: We have tried to signal when these decisions are being made, and what these timelines could look like, so people can have some time to plan.
Q: How are the health care workers being looked after?

A: We need to make sure that people are tracking any symptoms. We ask them to take particular care about changing their clothing, about logging where they go and who they are in contact with.
Q: Are you concerned about the timing of the Bledisloe Cup matches?

A: I'm pretty sure we are able, as a nation, to accomodate a rugby game and an election. It's up to the rugby bodies to set the date, but it's usually an evening game - once the polls are closed.
Q: What other changes need to be made by our airlines?

A: What we really want to see maintained by our airlines is enforcement of mask use, which is a core part of the advice that's come down from Dr Bloomfield. Distancing needs to be continued for embark & disembarkment.
Q: Why aren't we creating different regional levels?

A: The early days that was something we, as a cabinet, discussed. You'll remember we had that regional boundary in Auckland, but with the additional movement of Level 2, that becomes difficult to police well & efficiently.
Q: Are you concerned about the push back against restrictions that's starting to happen?

A: I've never assumed we'll have 100% agreement, so it doesn't surprise me, but it's really important that we have as many people as possible comply to keep the whole team safe.
And that's the end of today's presser.

Summary ahoy!

Auckland remains at Level 2.5, with the rest of Aotearoa remaining at Level 2.

A review will happen on Monday the 21st of September & be announced at the briefing.

The earliest level move will be Wednesday the 23rd.
At this point in time, Auckland will be reviewed on the 21st to see IF they're going to move down a level on the 23rd.

The rest of Aotearoa WILL move down a level on the 23rd, unless otherwise announced on the 21st.

So let's hope the covidiots haven't fucked it up ay.

/end
I'll be back with summaries most days there are pressers from here on out, and I'll pull the numbers from the media releases on the days between.

<3
Today, Tuesday the 15th of Sept, we have 3 new cases of COVID-19 in Aotearoa - all imported.

There are 0 new cases of community transmission to report!

We have 4 people in hospital, with 2 in ICU.

We have 16 freshly recovered people 🎉

/end
Today, Wednesday the 16th of September, we have 1 new case of Covid-19 in Aotearoa - imported.

There are 0 new cases of community transmission to report!

There are 3 people in hospital, with 2 in ICU.
We have 1 death to report from yesterday afternoon, which takes our total deaths to 25.

Arohanui to the whānau 💜

They have requested privacy at this time, please be respectful of that.
An update on the health care worker that has contracted COVID.

It has been linked back to a community case that was housed at the Jet Park, the worker was involved with a pre-hospitalisation assessment of this patient.

A review of protocol is underway.
The review of the handling of the measles outbreak has been made public, and the recommendations within have already started to be folded into our COVID-19 response.
Onto Q&A time!

It's Bloomfield on his own, so we'll see how this goes.
There's no mics in the house, so I'll do my best with the questions.
Q: The death from yesterday is the second covid death in 2 weeks for that family, have you been in touch?

A: This must be absolutely devastating for the family. We haven't been directly in touch but have passed on our condolences. This emphasises how dangerous this virus can be
Q: There are continued complaints about how the flu vaccination was distributed.

A: We brought forward the start of the influenza vaccination season to prioritise our higher risk citizens. We saw that our standard distribution methods weren't working, so we stepped in.
Q: Are you concerned that the public health announcement on Monday being made by only the PM makes this politicised?

A: The main reason for me not being there was that we were in different cities - I was in Wellington and she was in Dunedin. I don't think it's politicised.
Q: People are saying this is just a 'flu?

A: We're seen a death rate of between 1% & 2%, which is about 10 times the death rate of seasonal influenza.
Q: We've gone two days without any community transmission, how are you feeling about this?

A: We're increasingly confident that we have ring fenced this outbreak, the Auckland cluster, and all the sub-clusters. I'd say that my dashboard has gone down to amber-green
Q: How are the public meant to trust you when there are continued failings?

A: Not every single misstep is a failing. A failing would be if something went awry and we didn't do anything about it, which is why these reviews are important and the actions that we take from them.
And that's the end of today's presser.

Summary ahoy!

- 1 new case in Aotearoa, imported
- 2 days without community transmission
- 3 people in hospital, with 2 in ICU
- 4 people considered recovered 💖

There has been a death yesterday, which takes our total deaths to 25.
The mortality rate for COVID is between 1% & 2%, which is ten times greater than that of the seasonal 'flu.

There's a protocol review being done at the Jetpark.

We're feeling good about having this new outbreak ring fenced, and Bloomfield is cautiously optimistic.

/end
In amusing things - the RNZ feed cut out part way through the last question, with what sounded like an angry kazoo solo.

It’s like the Clangers but serious
Today, Thursday the 17th of September, there were 7 new cases of COVID-19 to report in Aotearoa - all of them imported.

We have now gone 3 days with no community transmission.

We have 4 people in hospital, with no one in ICU.

There are 9 freshly recovered cases 🎉

/end
Today, Friday the 18th of September, there are ZERO new cases of COVID-19 to report in Aotearoa.

This marks our fourth consecutive day with no community transmission!

We have 4 people in hospital, with 1 in ICU.

And there’s 7 freshly recovered people 🎉

/end
Today, Saturday 19th of September, we have 2 cases of COVID-19 to report in Aotearoa.

1 case is imported.
1 case is in the community, & has not yet been linked back to the cluster.

There are 4 people in hospital but no one in ICU.

There are 5 newly recovered pals 🎉
/end
Today, Sunday the 20th of September, we have 4 new cases of COVID-19 in Aotearoa.

2 cases are imported.
2 cases are community cases, both household contacts of yesterday's community case.

There are 3 people in hospital but no one in ICU.
Our 3 community cases that have been reported over the weekend are NOT linked to the Auckland cluster.

The case reported yesterday is someone who has returned home, done the fortnight, & developed symptoms 5 days after being released - despite returning 2 negative tests in iso.
MoH have said that there was a chance they were infected on the flight back from India and just had an incredibly long incubation period. There is evidence that on rare cases incubation period can be up to 24 days, and they became symptomatic 21 days after their flight.

/end
Today, Monday the 21st of September, we have zero new cases of COVID-19 in Aotearoa.

We have three people in hospital, and no one in ICU.

We have 9 freshly recovered cases 🎉

We have 95 active cases, of these 62 are imported & 33 are community cases.
The man who tested positive after going through managed isolation is to be commended for his vigilance, so far the only positive results are from his household.

They're continuing to contact people who may have come into contact during transit, as well as identifying the origin.
Our swift response in Auckland has contained the virus, with no spread through the rest of Aotearoa - despite our extensive testing.
Auckland is moving to standard Level 2 as of Wednesday the 23rd at 11:59pm.
Auckland is staying in Level 2 for 14 days, with the next review due on Monday the 5th of October.

The rest of Aotearoa is moving to Level 1 as of 11:59pm tonight, Monday the 21st.
As Auckland is in Level 2, masks will continue to be mandatory for public transport. They will also continue to be mandatory for all flights to and from Auckland.

If you are from Auckland and travel around Aotearoa, you take your level with you.
ie: no mass gatherings.
NZ has made the decision to pool with a group of our Pacific pals, we have entered a legally binding agreement for 50% of our vaccine needs with COVAX.

The funding allocation has come from the COVID-19 response fund.

This will not be our only source for vaccines, however.
Onto Q&A time.

Leading with COVID-19 questions, then Jacinda has indicated that she'll answer questions about the Harbour Bridge.
There's no mics in the audience, so I'll do my best to figure out what they're saying.

It'll be a bit of guess work.
Sorry gang!
Q: Why have you not constrained the mass gatherings further?

A: One of the big questions for cabinet was whether we were going to be comfortable moving with mass gatherings of 50 or 100. It's consistent with standard Level 2.
Q: Why haven't you moved Auckland to Level 1 now?

A: Even with our setting how they are, there's a 50/50 chance that we've reached elimination. We've said before that it's better to be cautious, so we're in a better position to deal with any cases that may emerge.
Q: Are there any plans for targeted funding or a wage subsidy for the industries most affected by Level 2 continuing?

A: Currently our most affected industry here is Events, as most other industries are able to function, which we have various funds available for.
(I definitely yelled at the TV at that one. Still no funds for the supply chain, and no response to requests for an audience to discuss this. Support technicians! We're people too!)
Q: Are you looking at extending the stay in MIQ facilities for all returnees in response to the weekend's cases?

A: No, not currently. We're looking at what we need to do for subsequent testing, especially for people who are on flights where we've identified positive cases.
Q: Why is Auckland staying at Level 2?

A: Going through two full cycles of transmission, which is 28 days, gives a really great indication of elimination. But Auckland's willingness to work together & follow the health orders that's made it easier to get on top of it.
Q: With this post MIQ community case, will you shut borders completely?

A: All around the world we're seeing second waves, some larger than the initial waves. But we still have a duty to care for our citizens that want to come home, & our MIQ facilities have done well overall
Q: Do people still need to be keeping up with testing?

A: Don't ever assume that your symptoms are nothing, no matter where you are in the country. It allows us to be sure that we're on top of COVID, and stay on top of it.
Q: Does this mean there's no chance of a trans-tasman or trans-pacific bubble?

A: No, no it doesn't. We're still in active discussions with our neighbours around how to achieve this, especially with countries that don't have community transmission.
Q: Are there any updates on how the nurse a the Jet Park was infected?

A: The latest is that the infection likely happened when the nurse went in to assist with the care of a patient, who was subsequently moved to hospital.
The investigation is still underway.
That's the end of today's COVID update.

Summary Ahoy!

- No new cases
- 3 people in hospital
- 9 recovered humans 💖

Auckland moves to Level 2 at 11:59 on Wednesday the 23rd.

The rest of Aotearoa moves to Level 1 as at 11:59 this evening, Monday the 21st September.
A reminder to Aucklanders that, if you travel out of Tamaki Makaurau, you take your level restrictions with you.
No gatherings of more than 100.
Wear your masks.
Don't fuck this up.

To all Kiwis.
If you show any symptoms, get a test.

Wash your hands.
Be excellent

/end
A belated 1pm COVID-19 stand up summary, as I was otherwise occupied this afternoon.

Sorry team.
Today, Tuesday September 22nd, there were zero new cases to COVID-19 to report in Aotearoa.

There are 3 people in hospital, with no-one in ICU.

We have 1 freshly recovered human 🎉

This leaves us with 61 active cases.
29 imported cases.
32 community cases.
Bloomfield wanted to reiterate that the level change doesn't mean we can relax, as there is still a chance of infection.

Please stay home if you are sick.
Please get tested if you are symptomatic.
Going in depth on what historical positives, or weak positives, may look like.

These are people who may return a positive PCR response, for a variety of reasons. The ones of greatest concern are for people who are within NZ, who haven't been previously identified cases.
The MoH is creating a task force to look at this, and how we manage it going forward.

If applicable, they will be added to our reported numbers.
This is being discussed as part of how that most recent trio of community cases is being handled.

Everyone on the charter flight has been tested.
All but 1 was negative.
The positive case indicates a historical infection, so they're now timelining when it may have happened.
Onto Q&A time, it's our favourite time of day.

As it's at the Ministry of Health, there's no microphone's for the reporters so I'll be doing a spot of translation.
But being a late watch, I can pause and go back if it's important 😂
Q: Do these cases mean we need to change how and when we're testing?

A: It doesn't change our testing strategy. We will see a handful of these, as it's becoming obvious we had more cases within the community from before we broke those chains. & we will report them.
Q: Are you concerned that we no longer have mandatory mask use outside of Auckland, and this will result in a resistance?

A: Masks are of most value where there is community spread. We are still encouraging people to wear masks in enclosed settings, even at Level 1.
Q: The PM said you recommended Events be capped at 500 people, even at Level 1.

A: The advice I gave to cabinet was, as we have split levels, we may want to consider a maximum limit to indoor gatherings only.
What Cabinet decided was to identify & contact organisers instead.
Q: Auckland's just moved from 2.5 down to 2, do you see a level 1.5 as the next step down?

A: I don't, I think we're done with the .5's. I think we're looking good to bring Auckland down to Level 1, bearing in mind that it looks different this time with QR codes & masks.
Q: Do you think the approaching election has had influence on our moves down levels?

A: I can speak to my advice, and say that no - it hasn't. As we've seen, Cabinet doesn't always take my advice, but I'm comfortable that it's well rounded and includes external sources.
Q: Are we getting any closer to finding the source of our index case in Auckland?

A: There's nothing further to say, unfortunately. We're still working through genome sequencing for everyone that's been through managed isolation. It may be that will eventually provide a clue.
That's the end of what was today's conference.

Le summary is

- Zero new cases in Aotearoa
- 3 people in hospital
- 0 people in ICU
- 1 freshly recovered bean 💖

Now is not the time to relax.
Stay home if you're sick.
Get tested.
Wash your hands.
Wear your mask.

/end
Today, Wednesday 23rd September, we have 3 new cases of COVID to report in Aotearoa.

All of these cases are connected to the charter flight from Christchurch.

We have 3 people in hospital but no one in ICU.

We have 6 historical cases to report.

& 2 freshly recovered pals.
The historical cases are all based in the Waikato, and date back to February - when our testing was still focussed on travel to & from China.

This also adjusts our timeline for COVID-19 in Aotearoa, with the 21st of February being our new day zero (rather than the 28th)

/end
Looking at this thread, my update yesterday didn't post. Stink! So, belatedly:

Yesterday, Thursday the 24th of September, we had 3 new cases in Aotearoa - all in managed isolation.

There were 3 people in hospital, with no one in ICU.

No recoveries, but also no deaths 🎉
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