Explainer: Source of New Zealand coronavirus outbreak still a mystery

By Praveen Menon

 

FILE PHOTO: A bull statue with a mask covering its face is seen in a township called Bulls, near Palmerston North, on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand, amid the global outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), July 12, 2020. REUTERS/Praveen Menon/File Photo

 

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - Almost a week after the discovery of New Zealand's first locally transmitted coronavirus outbreak in more than three months, its origin remains a mystery.

 

The Pacific island nation had benefited from its remoteness early in the pandemic, when Ardern swiftly closed off the international border and imposed one of the world's toughest lockdowns. Those measures stamped out local transmission for 102 days.

 

Genome testing of the latest batch of infections has confirmed it is a new strain, officials have said, probably from Australia or Britain.

 

With the clock ticking to get the latest outbreak under control, that has raised the tricky question of how it entered a country that has been largely closed off for months.

 

Here are some details on what authorities have called the 'Auckland August cluster'.

 

WHEN AND HOW WAS IT DISCOVERED?

 

* The earliest case authorities have identified to date is a 50-year-old man who works at an Auckland cool store owned by U.S.-based Americold Realty Trust, who became ill around July 31. The man took a COVID-19 test in Auckland after experiencing symptoms for a few days.

 

* The man's case, along with those of three direct family members, was made public by Ardern during a late night news conference on Aug. 11.

 

* Officials revealed that family members had travelled to other cities, including Rotorua and Hamilton, and visited an aged care centre while symptomatic.

 

* There are now 78 active cases, of which 58 are linked to the Auckland family cluster, with infections reported at workplaces, schools, homes and public areas. The remaining 20 cases are people in mandatory quarantine facilities after arriving in New Zealand from abroad.

 

HOW DID COVID-19 RETURN IN THE COUNTRY?

 

This is the major question still facing authorities, given the international border has been closed to foreigners since March and all returning New Zealanders have been forced into mandatory 14-day quarantine.

 

* Authorities have said contact tracing and genomic testing found no links to the country's border entry points or managed quarantine facilities yet. Genome sequencing disproved the theory from some health experts that the virus could have been quietly moving through community since the original outbreak, they added.

 

* The government earlier suggested that the virus may have entered the country through freight, with a focus on the Auckland Americold facility where several infections have now been reported. Surface testing is underway at the facility. Australian authorities are conducting genome testing on workers from a Melbourne Americool facility, seeking any connection.

 

* New Zealand's Health Chief Ashley Bloomfield has since said said human-to-human transmission is the most likely culprit, with surface transmission "unlikely".

 

* Opposition parties and government critics have pointed to a breach at one of New Zealand's quarantine facilities as the likely conduit for the virus. Local media has reported several instances of security slip-ups at the facilities. The government has said there is no evidence to support that theory, although testing is continuing. It has not detailed any alternative pathway.

 

WHAT IS NEW ZEALAND DOING ABOUT IT?

 

* Ardern has locked down the country's biggest city, Auckland, and brought back social distancing restrictions more widely for two weeks. She has also delayed a national election due next month.

 

* Testing has been ramped up in the community to record levels

 

* Aucklanders and others have been strongly advised to wear masks in public

 

* Border testing at airports and ports has increased and quarantine staff are being tested more regularly

 

* Contact tracing technology was improved through the government app and businesses were ordered to compulsorily display QR codes

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-08-17

 

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24 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

With the clock ticking to get the latest outbreak under control, that has raised the tricky question of how it entered a country that has been largely closed off for months.

Did any 'diplomats' enter the country during the 'closed border' times?

9 hours ago, ukrules said:

Did any 'diplomats' enter the country during the 'closed border' times?

Yes, as did film crew, America's Cup teams and various others who have had exemptions to enter.

A few cases that could be traced.  No mention of everyone that's already had it and no nation is testing every person, every day.  Waste of time and making something out of nothing.  

45 minutes ago, mstevens said:

Yes, as did film crew, America's Cup teams and various others who have had exemptions to enter.

Interesting, so they had an exception to enter while the border was closed but I would expect they went through quarantine just the same as everyone else?

1 hour ago, ukrules said:

Interesting, so they had an exception to enter while the border was closed but I would expect they went through quarantine just the same as everyone else?

There is some question as to whether they had contact with others before entering quarantine, but that was long ago and can't be connected to the present outbreak.

They were trying to test every person working at entry points yesterday, but the people in charge of testing were saying it couldn't be done by last night as thousands of them.

12 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

With the clock ticking to get the latest outbreak under control, that has raised the tricky question of how it entered a country that has been largely closed off for months.

Chinese agents?

5 hours ago, mstevens said:

Yes, as did film crew, America's Cup teams and various others who have had exemptions to enter.

As far as I know, they were all quarantined though. The film crew definitely, as it was in the news. 

 

Quote

Explainer: Source of New Zealand coronavirus outbreak still a mystery

If it is still a mystery, then it’s not much of an “explainer” , is it ?

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Explainer: Source of New Zealand coronavirus outbreak still a mystery

not much of an explainer after all

One of the rare cases that doesn't show up within the 14 days?. More likely a quarantine breach of the nocturnal kind.

They know it's a new strain of the virus brought from overseas, and have discounted the cool store as the source. They still have no idea of the source.

I think I've discovered the source of the new outbreaks.

 

23 hours ago, BritManToo said:

I think I've discovered the source of the new outbreaks.

 

Bio Safety Level 5.

Of course the one thing it couldn't possibly be is the bleeding obvious. That being that the thing has been circulating asymptomatically all along, as it does in many people.

2 hours ago, Rancid said:

Of course the one thing it couldn't possibly be is the bleeding obvious. That being that the thing has been circulating asymptomatically all along, as it does in many people.

But not in everyone. By now it should have shown up. And anyway, as has been pointed out elsewhere, this strain of the virus is different.