Three super spreader events last week spike community transmission numbers
Most students wearing masks at the Niue High School Prize giving event on Wednesday last week
The number of active cases of covid 19 has increased over the weekend to 69, bringing the total number of cases detected in Niue since March this year to 263, one hundred and ninety-four recovered.
A notice from the Health Department on Saturday identified three public events last week attended by the majority of the new cases. These events include the Niue High School Prize Giving on Wednesday 14th December, the Niue Power Corporation gathering on Thursday 15th and the Niue High School Year 13 formal at the Scenic Matavai on Friday 16th December. BCN News understands that the students were RAT tested before being allowed to enter the ballroom, resulting in one student being asked to leave because they had tested positive. However, according to sources, not everyone was tested before entering this event on Friday and some of the people not tested were later found to be positive.
The notice asked for people who were at these events to monitor for symptoms but household close contacts of positive cases should be in isolation.
With these three large public events, it is expected that the numbers will increase with entire households in isolation.
On Saturday evening there were two recoveries but the number of new cases reported was 20, taking the total on Saturday to 54.
Yesterday on Sunday evening the Health Department updated the Covid dashboard of two recoveries and 17 new cases, bringing the total to date to 69.
The next update will be tonight after the day three PCR tests of all the passengers from last Friday’s flight.
A group of five from the Pasifika Medical Association New Zealand arrived on Friday to help the Health Department manage this current outbreak of community transmission.
Earlier this month, the Health Department closed the hospital outpatient services when almost half of the nursing staff was in isolation.
The message remains that if you are experiencing flu-like symptoms to either get a Rapid antigen Test (RAT) done or use the drive-through testing clinic at the Niuefoou hospital from Mondays to Thursdays from 9 am until 12 pm midday.
