New Zealand’s South Island records first Covid cases in major city in over a year | New Zealand

New Zealand’s South Island has recorded its first Covid cases in a major city in over a year, with two cases detected in Christchurch.

Covid-19 response minister Chris Hipkins has not ruled out a snap lockdown for the city, the largest in the South Island, if it is needed to contain the spread. He said that one of the cases may have been infectious in the community for almost two weeks.

“This is a good reminder to people around the country that cases can pop up and this highlights the importance to get vaccinated,” Hipkins said.

Both of Thursday’s new cases were members of the same household, and one had recently returned from Auckland.

According to the Ministry of Health, 89% of eligible adults in Canterbury, of which Christchurch is the main city, had had at least one dose of the vaccine, and 67% had had both doses. The region would require almost 111,000 people to get both doses before hitting the 90% target set by the government, where most restrictions can be lifted.

Epidemiologist and public health prof Michael Baker said there needed to be stronger protections at the boundaries of the North and South Islands. “We may be seeding the whole South Island with cases right at the moment, because we’ve got increasing transmission in Auckland, and still people flying from Auckland all around the country – and we’ve got limited controls on that,” he said. Baker called for pre-departure testing, and for vaccine requirements on domestic flights.

Dr Apisalome Talemaitoga, chair of the Pasifika GP network, said via the Science Media Centre that “I just find it unbelievable that we are allowing unvaccinated people out of Auckland to travel – for whatever reason. People should be doubly vaccinated before they can do this.”

With the region still weeks away from 90% vaccination, Baker said there were “huge health and economic reasons for delaying widespread transmission in the South Island as long as possible”. Otherwise, he said, the region could end up facing restrictions or possible lockdowns until Christmas.

Hipkins said that the two infected people were co-operating with authorities but had not been scanning in using New Zealand’s location tracing app – a detail which may make contact tracing more difficult. Both are unvaccinated.

The minister is due to provide a further update later on Thursday.

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