Two new COVID-19 cases reported for Taranaki
3 December 2021
There are two new cases of COVID-19 to report in Taranaki today, taking the total number of cases reported in the region to five.
The five cases, two adults and three children, are across three linked households and have a known link to a previously reported case in Rotorua. The adults were unvaccinated and all of the children are under the age of 12.
Three of these people have since relocated back to their families in different regions and are being monitored and cared for in their respective DHB areas – Rotorua and Waikato. Two of these people, one adult and one child, remain in New Plymouth. The cases are currently managing their health in self-isolation and receiving appropriate care and support.
COVID-19 Response Manager, Gillian Campbell confirms the Public Health Unit is working to identify locations of interest in New Plymouth, but so far the primary location of interest is Devon Intermediate School.
“Unfortunately, these people didn’t use the COVID-19 Tracer App which makes contact tracing a bit harder, but we believe there are few locations of interest and most of these are considered low-risk.
“Close contacts have been identified and we are helping these people to get tested and isolate.
“We are also aware Marfell School has been discussed as a potential location of interest, however we can confirm the child who attended this school has tested negative for COVID-19.
“It is important to remember these people are part of our community, and are working closely with our Public Health team to comply with self-isolation requirements at home. We need to help respect their privacy during a challenging time like this.”
Current locations of interest include:
- Devon Intermediate School – Monday 29 November, Tuesday 30 November and Wednesday 1 December
- Blagdon Hot Bread Bakery - Thursday 25 November, 9:00am - 11:00am
- Four Square Blagdon New Plymouth - Thursday 2 December, 11:45am - 12:15pm
Demand for testing in New Plymouth experienced a surge today, with over 400 tests completed by midday.
Taranaki DHB testing centres in New Plymouth and Hāwera extended operational hours to meet demand, and two pop-up clinics were run to help support students, staff and whānau associated with Devon Intermediate and the Marfell School community.
Mrs Campbell says its imperative to have collaboration with all the local health providers.
“Working together for the health of our community is so important as we face the uncertainty of COVID-19. We are grateful to our Māori Health and iwi providers for standing up their clinics so quickly today, and will continue to support this mahi for the people of Taranaki.”