Weak positive Covid-19 case on the West Coast
Public health staff are investigating a weak positive Covid-19 test result on the West Coast, the Ministry of Health has confirmed.
Repeat testing is under way to establish whether the Hokitika case is acute or historical, a ministry spokeswoman said.
People who had the virus may continue to shed fragments of it for some weeks after they have recovered, without being infectious to others.
The ministry on Monday evening published a single location of interest, New World Hokitika, “out of an abundance of caution”, she said.
The woman, who is double-vaccinated, is a worker at Besgrow’s Coastpak Sphagnum Moss factory in Hokitika. She tested returned two positive tests after returning from a holiday in the North Island, Besgrow managing director Anthony Washington said.
Besgrow is testing any staff who have recently travelled to the North Island when they return to work, using rapid antigen tests. The woman took the test in her car when she came back to the factory on Monday morning and took a PCR test afterwards, which also came out positive on Monday afternoon, he said.
“We are really happy that everything we have put in place has captured [the case] early and stopped any potential infection in the community,” Washington said.
The person who tested the woman at the factory was in full PPE and is now isolating too, he said.
The company ordered 300 rapid antigen tests before Christmas to cover 25 employees and has just ordered more to continue testing staff returning from locations of interest, Washington said.
It is the first case that has been recorded on the West Coast for 22 months, after a historical case was also confirmed on the coast yesterday. The historical case, who had Covid-19 in the past but had since recovered, was recorded in yesterday’s Ministry of Health official figures. The weak positive case is yet to appear in the official tally.
West Coast District Health Board (DHB) senior responsible officer for Covid-19 Philip Wheble said the DHB had set up additional testing capacity at the Hokitika Health Centre for the next two days.
A pop-up testing clinic is operating at Hokitika Health Centre from 10.30am to 12pm; 1.30pm – 3pm, Tuesday and Wednesday. Testing is free for anyone with symptoms or who has been advised to get tested by public health, but people should phone Healthline to make an appointment, the Ministry of Health said.
Poll: Should we be giving the green light to new mining projects? 💰🌲
The Environmental Protection Authority announced this week that a proposed mine in Central Otago (near Cromwell) is about to enter its fast-track assessment process. A final decision could come within six months, and if it’s approved, construction might start as early as mid-2026.
We want to know: Should mining projects like this move ahead?
Keen to dig deeper? Mike White has the scoop.
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53.2% Yes
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46.8% No
A riddle to start the festive season 🌲🎁🌟
I'm a fruit. If you take away my first letter, I'm a crime. If you take away my first two letters, I'm an animal. If you take away my first and last letter, I'm a form of music. What am I?
Do you think you know the answer? Simply 'Like' this post if you know the answer and the big reveal will be posted in the comments at 2pm on the day!
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Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.
‘Tis the season to not get scammed ...
As Christmas gift shopping moves increasingly online, scammers are ramping up their activity across the country.
Dunedin’s Investigation Support Unit is seeing more and more people fall victim to scams and other fraudulent activity, particularly on Facebook Marketplace.
There are a few ways to avoid the scams and keep yourself safe doing online trades this holiday season, says Southern District Service Delivery Manager Senior Sergeant Dalton.
🔒 “A good first step when looking to purchase something on Marketplace is to check when the seller’s Facebook profile was created. If it’s very recent, there is a higher risk that they have just created this account for a one-off fake item.”
🔒 Another important step is to make sure the seller’s profile name and bank account name match up. “We’re seeing a lot of scammers claiming their bank account name is different because it belongs to their partner or family member - that’s a huge red flag."
🔒 “When you’re selling, never trust a screenshot anyone sends you showing that payment has been made. Check your own bank account to make sure a payment has gone through."
🔒 “Quite frankly, it’s best for all parties to agree to pay, or be paid, for items in cash and in-person. Ideally in a public place with CCTV coverage."
🔒 "If you’re buying a car, check Carjam.co.nz to see if it’s stolen or if there’s money owed on it.”
A reminder: Suspicious activity can be reported on 105
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