The Covid-19 case who went to Northland and triggered the region’s move up alert levels has been uncooperative with health officials, Chris Hipkins says.
The Covid-19 Response Minister also suggested the woman may have travelled from Auckland using “false information”.
“My understanding at this point - and I want to be clear this is not yet verified - is that this person obtained a document by providing false information in order to get the document to travel across the border,” Hipkins said.
“By the time the falsity of that information had been identified and that document had been revoked, they were already in Northland at that point.”
It had been “very difficult to get information about this particular case”, he said.
The woman travelled to Northland earlier this month. However, it was only on Friday night that the first details of where she had been while potentially infectious were released.
Hipkins said the person travelled “extensively” while in Northland between October 2 and October 6.
“They are believed to have travelled around the region, including in Whangārei, Kamo, Paihia and Kawakawa, before returning to Auckland,” he said.
“They have not been particularly forthcoming with their movements.”
Hipkins didn’t know why the person didn’t want to cooperate with health officials and he didn’t have information about whether the woman was connected to a gang.
The person first returned a “weak positive” Covid-19 test on Wednesday while in Whangārei.
She was re-tested in Auckland on Thursday. That test came back positive.
Hipkins said it was difficult to find the woman after her first test on Wednesday because she didn’t give enough information for officials to be able to contact her.
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