More than 85 unvaccinated port workers boarded ship with 11 positive Covid-19 cases, Government urgently investigating – Stuff.co.nz

The Government is urgently investigating how 87 unvaccinated port workers were allowed to board a ship that carried 11 Covid-19-positive crew members.

Health authorities were urgently testing 98 Tauranga port workers on Monday, after they were involved in the unloading the container ship Rio de la Plata, which was cleared to dock at the citys port last week.

Crew members on the boat have tested positive for the more-transmissible Delta strain of Covid-19, and the port workers who unloaded the ship spent days out and about in Tauranga before being asked to self-isolate.

It was confirmed after a Cabinet meeting on Monday afternoon that 23 of the 98 workers had tested negative, and the remaining tests were outstanding. Nine of these workers were fully vaccinated, and two had a single dose of the vaccine.

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Samuel Rillstone/RNZ

"We cannot afford to have a situation where our port workers are not vaccinated, which is why we have mandated it, Jacinda Ardern said. (File photo)

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern blamed misinformation and hesitancy for the low rate of port workers taking up the vaccine.

Barriers to those individuals having a vaccination and plan includes unfortunately misinformation, hesitancy, and of course from the ports themselves a concernthat mandating would destroy, potentially, supply lines.

"We cannot afford to have a situation where our port workers are not vaccinated, which is why we have mandated it ... that is in spite of the concerns that have been raised that these are privately employed individuals, these are not government employees.

The Government a month ago issued a legal order requiring port workers to get the vaccine, or face losing their jobs. All Government employees covered by the order would have to have a first dose by August 26, while privately employed border workers would have to have a first dose by September 30.

ROBERT KITCHIN/Stuff

Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins. (file photo)

Ardern said there had always been a sense of urgency to have port workers vaccinated.

On Tuesday last week, the Port of Tauranga was first alerted by Maritime NZ that the Rio de la Plata, which was at anchor, had been boarded in July by an Australian pilot in Queensland who later tested positive for Covid-19.

Maritime NZ and the local medical officer of health later cleared a local pilot to board the Rio de la Plata.

On Wednesday night last week, the port workers were told to stop working and to go home and isolate. The following morning, the local public health unit gave the all clear for work to resume on the vessel, with no need for workers to isolate.

Health officials later tested the crew, discovering the 11 positive Covid-19 cases.

Ardern said she had asked health officials why the decision was taken to stop the unloading of the ship, then resume it.

She said none of the ships crew were granted permission to leave the boat, and not everyone who has been on a ship is likely to have contact with crew.

There were infection prevention controls, PPE protocols were followed by port workers who may have had contact with the ship during their duties.

Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said the Government was seeking answers, and health officials would investigate, the who, what, how, and when.

I haven't got a clear picture of exactly what was knownwhen and by whom ... There will need to be a very good clear look at whether things should have been done differently, including whether New Zealanders should have been allowed to go on to the ship if there was concern that there was Covid-19 on it, he said.

National Party Covid-19 Response spokesman Chris Bishop said the Government had for weeks been wringing it hands about the lack of vaccinated port workers, and should have moved quicker to make vaccination mandatory.

"We need to urgently vaccinate as many port workers as possible. The Government's been vaccinated frontline port workers since March, and yet we still have 60 per cent at Bay of Plenty higher, in fact, at other ports who are totally unvaccinated.

The port workers should not have been on the ship prior to its crew being tested for Covid-19, he said.

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More than 85 unvaccinated port workers boarded ship with 11 positive Covid-19 cases, Government urgently investigating - Stuff.co.nz