Watch Live: Government COVID-19 National Response, 1st April

The All of Government COVID-19 National Response will provide an update at 1.00 pm today.

Apr 1, 2020 1:02 PM RNZ Live Watch the livestream below.

Sarah Stuart-Black, Director of Civil Defence Emergency Management – update on COVID-19 national response.

• • • There are no additional deaths to report. Total confirmed cases of 708.
    • There are 47 new confirmed cases and 14 new probable cases.
    • Fourteen people are in hospital, two are in intensive care but are stable.
    • 57 people were moved yesterday from managed isolation in Auckland through Wellington to Christchurch.There will be another chartered flight this afternoon and more as needed, Stuart-Black says. All have health checks before flying and go into self-isolation after they get home.
    • Community transmission is around 1 percent.
    • Yesterday, public health officials were in contact with 418 close contacts of confirmed cases.
    • Testing capacity is 3700 tests a day. An average of 1843 have been done over the last seven days.
    • The new definition says those with respiratory illness consistent with Covid-19 should be tested.
    • A new case definition will be issued today as a guide for clinical practitioners.
    • She says states of emergency can be extended each week.
    • She says there has been confusion over the national state of emergency and alert levels, she reminds people they are two distinctive things.
    • She says states of emergency can be extended each week.
    • She says some people have been roadblocking their areas and police are giving them advice.
    • She says people should get outside and exercise, but stay local.
    • Dr McElnay says that while the lower reported numbers look encouraging, they still expect cases to rise.
    • She says, as the case definition has been broadened, numbers are likely to rise.
    • “It’s much to early to read into those tests”, she says.
    • She says that in a couple of weeks, we’ll have a better idea of where community transmission is – but they hope the lockdown has limited it.
    • She says that in a couple of weeks, we’ll have a better idea of where community transmission is – but they hope the lockdown has limited it.
    • MOH is developing a surveillance plan to monitor community transmission, Dr McElnay says.
    • he Ministry hasn’t ruled out knocking on people’s doors and testing people in the community, she says.

She says there’s still a strong link to overseas travel and links to confirmed cases. Community transmission is around 1 percent.

Stuart-Black gives a shout out to the sign language interpreters who’ve been translating these updates
She says there’s still a strong link to overseas travel and links to confirmed cases.

Speakers:

• Sarah Stuart-Black, Director of Civil Defence Emergency Management – update on COVID-19 national response
• Dr Caroline McElnay, Director of Public Health – health update.

Standby the livestream will start shortly or click play.

https://youtu.be/J5en0hXtpG4