MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th October, 2020) As many as 11 new cases of COVID-19 have been identified among international fishermen who recently arrived in New Zealand, the country's Health Ministry was cited by domestic media outlets as saying on Tuesday.
The ministry said that 11 confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease have been registered, and a further 14 potential cases are currently under investigation, the Newstalk ZB radio broadcaster stated.
"All are imported cases detected at routine day 3 testing. None involve cases in the community," a Health Ministry representative was quoted as saying by the broadcaster.
Les Morgan, the chief operating officer at Christchurch Airport's Sudima Hotel, told the broadcaster that a large number of international fishermen, predominantly from Russia and Ukraine, were in quarantine at his facility.
"They're the only guests at the hotel and they've been model guests," Morgan told the radio broadcaster.
In total, 440 fishermen from Russia and Ukraine are currently in quarantine at a managed isolation facility in Christchurch, the broadcaster said, adding that they traveled on Friday from Russia to New Zealand, via Singapore, on two charter flights.
Since the start of the pandemic, just 1,887 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 have been registered in New Zealand by the Ministry of Health. The country's death toll currently stands at 25.
