Covid-19 detected in New Plymouth wastewater

A positive Covid-19 test result has been detected in wastewater in New Plymouth. It does not appear to be linked to the fishing ships Playa Zahara and Viking Bay, recently docked at Port Taranaki, the Ministry of Health says. In a statement last night, the ministry said ESR reported there was a positive test result from the sewage sample. A follow-up sample, taken on Thursday, returned a second positive result yesterday evening. ‘‘Based on previous incidences, it is most likely that the two positive wastewater results are due to recently-recovered cases continuing to shed the virus,’’ the ministry said. ‘‘The Ministry of Health is investigating whether any recovered cases who live in the New Plymouth area have recently left a managed isolation facility.’’ More testing was being carried out for a small number of port workers and nurses who had been in possible contact with the fishing boat crews.