Auckland, New Zealand: Imported refrigerated freight is at the heart of a New Zealand probe into how four family members acquired Covid-19.
One of the four people who tested positive for Covid-19 works at a cold storage site that is now being tested for traces of the virus, according to an article in the Financial Times.
“We do know from studies overseas that actually, the virus can survive in some refrigerated environments for quite some time,” said Ashley Bloomfield, director-general of New Zealand Health.
“Imported freight is a possibility that should be explored via testing,” said Nick Wilson, professor of public health at the University of Otago. “Nevertheless, I suspect it is far more likely to be a border-related event, such as a worker infected from someone in managed isolation and quarantine.”
