Covid 19 delta outbreak: Wastewater results negative for Napier

New ZealandUpdated

10 Nov, 2021 12:27 AM2 minutes to read

Covid swab-testing at Hastings Health Centre. Photo / Warren Buckland

A second test of Napier’s wastewater for Covid-19 has come back negative.

The city has been on high alert after the detection of Covid-19 in the city’s wastewater on November 3 was announced.

At that point Hawke’s Bay District Health Board Medical Officer of Health Dr Bridget Wilson said Hawke’s Bay did not have any known Covid-19 cases isolating in the region.

“The result could be due to recently recovered cases returning to Hawke’s Bay who are still shedding the virus, but who are no longer infectious,” she said.

“However, it’s important that we rule out undetected cases in the community by increasing testing.”

Since then there have been no cases of the virus in the city picked up by the testing of individuals.

At a stand-up today it was noted that further testing of the wastewater in Gisborne and Napier, where positive wastewater detections had been found recently, had not registered more positive detections.

Wilson said the most important message was to get tested if feeling unwell with flu-like symptoms, or if you have travelled to an Alert Level 3 region within the past 14 days.

“If anyone is feeling unwell, please get tested. It’s also very important that anyone who has returned from an Alert Level 3 region in the last 14-days gets tested. Level 3 travellers should get tested even if they don’t have symptoms. “