Two Covid-positive mariners are isolating on a vessel off the coast of Taranaki, the Ministry of Health has confirmed.
The pair are part of a group of nine who arrived in Auckland on Monday before being transferred onto a deep sea fishing vessel in New Plymouth.
Three contacts of the cases have been identified including two people who work at the port and the driver who transported the mariners from Auckland to New Plymouth.
They are currently isolating onboard the ship.
The situation is a low risk to public health due to standard infection prevention controls, according to officials.
"This group was transported from the international airport to the testing site in Auckland in a minibus operated by the national service provider and then to the vessel," a spokesperson for the Ministry of Health told 1 NEWS.
"They stopped off on a second scheduled stop – to use the toilets at a managed isolation facility in Hamilton on the way to New Plymouth."
The two mariners are isolating on a vessel off the coast of Taranaki, the Ministry of Health has confirmed. (Source: Other)
The group of nine provided negative Covid-19 pre-departure test results before travelling to New Zealand.
However, after these tests they were tested again at Auckland Airport before arriving on the vessel off Taranaki.
The remaining seven mariners tested negative for Covid-19.
Port Taranaki chief executive Guy Roper gave a statement on the port worker isolating as a contact.
“Our staff member has been fully vaccinated, has been tested regularly as part of the ongoing Covid-19 border worker protocols, and follows the Covid-19 safety procedures of wearing PPE and practising social distancing when in contact with international vessels.
“We are supportive of the precautionary approach and will continue to work closely with the Ministry of Health and the Taranaki District Health Board, and take further instruction from them."
The Ministry of Health says it's now reviewing the flight and airport movements of the mariners as part of the contact tracing process.
At this stage, there are no associated locations of interest.
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