Tuesday 1 December

There are three new cases of COVID-19 to report in managed isolation in New Zealand today. There are no new community cases.

Of today’s new cases:
- One person arrived on 23 November from Germany via Singapore and tested positive at routine day 3 testing. Further testing indicates this case is historical but has not been reported overseas so it is included in New Zealand’s totals.
- One person arrived on 23 November from the United States of America. This person was tested at day 6 due to a person in their bubble testing positive at day 3, and this test returned a positive result. This person is in the same bubble as two people reported yesterday.
- One person arrived on 26 November from South Africa and tested positive at routine day 3 testing.

Three previously reported cases have now recovered, so our total number of active cases remains at 72.

Our total number of confirmed cases is now 1,703.

Yesterday laboratories processed 3,165 tests for COVID-19, bringing the total number of tests completed to date to 1,278,690.

Pakistan cricket squad

Day 6 swabs were taken yesterday from the 46 members of the Pakistan cricket squad in Christchurch who to date have returned negative test results for COVID-19.

Of those, 42 have subsequently returned a further negative test result. Three are under investigation to determine whether they are historical cases, and one test result is pending.
The team is not allowed to train until the Canterbury DHB medical officer of health determines they are satisfied that any training activities are unlikely to transmit COVID-19.

Christmas parties

With the countdown on until Christmas, the Ministry asks that anyone hosting a party for staff ensures that everyone who is attending is well. If anyone who was planning to attend is unwell, please consider how you can include them in your celebrations via video call or other means that ensure they can take part while everyone is kept safe.

Please encourage those attending to check in at the venue with the NZ COVID Tracer app, in the COVID Tracer booklet available online, or in a personal notebook.

Continue to emphasise the importance of handwashing at your event and have hand sanitiser available for your attendees.

NZ COVID Tracer

NZ COVID Tracer now has 2,389,500 registered users.

Poster scans have reached 130,462,564 and users have created 5,278,028 manual diary entries.