Stuff Digital Edition

‘Weak positive’ test but business as usual

Evan Harding and Louisa Steyl

Stewart Island residents are ‘‘a resilient group’’ and taking the news a preschooler has returned a weak-positive test for Covid-19 in their stride.

Island ward councillor Bruce Ford said he and his wife had been to a pop-up testing centre to get their swabs but after negative results from the child’s family, the community were fairly confident they were just following protocol.

‘‘We’re not expecting anything extraordinary [from the results],’’ Ford said.

The child’s family had originally had pre-departure testing ahead of travel when the weak positive was returned.

The rest of the family tested negative and repeat testing was also negative.

The community was a resilient group and it was business as usual on the island, Ford said.

‘‘We are accustomed to all manner of things. We’re strong, healthy people.’’

Officials have been unable to identify any possible source of infection ‘‘and given the relative isolation of the community, health authorities currently believe that it is most likely that the person is not a case’’, a Ministry of Health statement says.

As a precaution, the childcare centre on the island has been closed for the rest of the week and possible contacts have been asked to isolate until further information is available.

The childcare centre, operating as Rakiura Rugrats, has directed all media queries to the Southern District Health Board.

At a press conference yesterday, Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said the Stewart Island case was a very weak positive result and officials felt it was a false positive.

However, because it was an isolated community, all the chil

dren at the daycare would be tested, Bloomfield said.

A weak positive is treated as a ‘‘presumptive positive’’ result – presumed to be positive until information suggests otherwise.

A testing station opened at a community centre at 1pm.

‘‘The results of serology testing, due later today [Thursday], will help provide more information as part of the ongoing investigation,’’ the ministry’s statement says.

‘‘Given the isolated nature of the community the DHB is putting additional staff on the ground in Stewart Island today to provide testing, primarily for those in the community with symptoms and for anyone linked to the childcare centre.

‘‘Any local residents seeking testing are expected to be able to be accommodated.’’

WellSouth chief executive officer Andrew Swanson-Dobbs said six staff had been sent to the island to begin community testing.

Southland District mayor Gary Tong said Stewart Island was an isolated community but a lot of people travelled to and from it.

‘‘We are accustomed to all manner of things. We’re strong, healthy people.’’

Bruce Ford

Stewart Island ward councillor

Real Journeys general manager Paul Norris said there had been a few cancellations since news of the weak-positive test broke.

Invercargill Airport general manager Nigel Finnerty said there had been no flight cancellations between Invercargill and Stewart Island.

National News

en-nz

2021-06-18T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-06-18T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://fairfaxmedia.pressreader.com/article/282312503024296

Stuff Limited