Covid-19: Genome sequencing of Air NZ case shows virus likely picked up overseas

An Air New Zealand staff member who tested positive for Covid-19 likely caught the virus overseas, the Ministry of Health says. Genome sequencing was completed overnight and the results were announced at 1pm on Thursday. “Results of genome sequencing show that the lineage of this infection is not associated with any New Zealand cases that have been sequenced, indicating international exposure is most likely,” the ministry said. The worker returned a positive test for the virus while in China, then again in New Zealand after arriving back on Wednesday. “Because this case was first reported in China, it is officially a case in China, not New Zealand – so while we are reporting on it, it does not enter into our official count of Covid-19 cases,” the ministry said. “The ministry continues to investigate how this most recent confirmed Covid-19 case was contracted. Although the source of the infection is still unknown, we are continuing to take precautionary actions within New Zealand.” The worker and 13 other crew members are now in the Auckland quarantine facility, Jet Park. “Further test samples from close contacts of the staff member have been processed rapidly and nine results have been returned, all of which are negative,” the ministry said. Dr Ben Johnston, Air New Zealand's chief medical officer, said Thursday the crew member had arrived back in the country on a cargo flight on Wednesday morning. “While this was considered a possible case, we still took every precaution to care for our crew and arrange their safe return home,” he said. “The crew were in separate rooms in a quarantine facility managed by the Chinese authorities and travelled back to New Zealand on a cargo-only flight so they would not come into contact with customers.”<br/>