LIVE: Health Minister gives latest COVID update

Health Minister Chris Hipkins. Photo: RNZ/Dom Thomas

Health Minister Chris Hipkins is updating the media on the government's COVID-19 response, after it was confirmed today that a third person had escaped a managed isolation facility.

It was confirmed at midday today that a 50-year-old man has been arrested after he cut through fence ties in a 1.8 metre fence to break out of a managed isolation facility in Hamilton.

Today there are two new cases of COVID in managed isolation.

It has been 70 days since the last case of COVID-19 was acquired locally from an unknown source, says a Ministry of Health spokesperson.

"The first case is a man in his 20s who arrived in New Zealand on 28 June from India. He has been at the Sudima Auckland Airport facility since arrival."

He tested negative on day three of his stay and has subsequently tested positive to an around day 12 test.

The second case is a man in his 20s who arrived in New Zealand on June 27 from England. He has been in managed isolation at the Sudima Lake Rotorua.

He tested positive on July 9 on day 12 of his stay.

"These cases bring our total number of confirmed cases to 1192, which is the number we report to the World Health Organization," says the Ministry.

"There are three cases considered to have recovered from COVID-19, which bring the total number of active cases to 23.

"There is no one in New Zealand receiving hospital-level care for COVID-19.

"Yesterday, laboratories completed 2575 tests. That brings the total number of tests completed to date to 424,719."

Yesterday, there were three new cases of COVID-19 in New Zealand, all in managed isolation.

On Wednesday, the one new case of COVID-19 was a man who had absconded from managed isolation at Stamford Plaza Hotel in Auckland and went to a Countdown supermarket on Victoria Street. The man is to face charges.

As a result of that escape and another incident on Saturday, the minister in charge of managed isolation facilities, Megan Woods, announced that there would be a permanent police presence at isolation facilities.

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