March 30, 2020
Green beer a virus vector
A St Patrick’s Day party is being fingered for the cluster of COVID-19 cases in Matamata.
The Waikato DHB says most of the 23 confirmed cases in the area were at the Redoubt Bar on March 17 or were directly linked to those who attended.
Health response incident controller Leena Singh says the original source was someone who had recently travelled overseas.
The DHB is setting up a community-based assessment centre at the Matamata Civic Centre from this afternoon, and all swabs taken will undergo priority testing.
Ms Singh says the Alert Level 4 lockdown now in effect should protect other Matamata residents.
To ensure they limit any further transmission people should avoid travel, wash their hands and practise social distancing.
The Health Ministry has confirmed 76 new cases of COVID-19, with 12 people in hospital.
The total number of cases in the country stands at 589.
Sixty-three people have recovered.
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