The newly announced central Auckland community COVID-19 case lives right next door to a managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) facility, it has emerged.
In an impromptu press conference from Parliament on Thursday afternoon, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins revealed that a woman in her 20s had been infected.
The new case is particularly worrisome as the woman - a student at Auckland University of Technology - has not had any known contact to the border or MIQ facilities.
However it's since come to light that the Vincent Residences, the apartment building the woman lives in, is directly adjacent to MIQ hotel the Grand Millenium.
The two buildings stand next to each other on Vincent St, in Auckland's CBD, and it's believed she would have walked past it whenever she went to work at A-Z Collections on High St.
She may also have mingled with MIQ residents when a fire alarm went off on Monday evening, Stuff reports - the same day Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said she first became symptomatic.
However Air Commodore Darryn Webb, Head of MIQ, says it's inaccurate that those in managed isolation freely mixed and mingled with members of the public.
"Staff and hotel security worked in conjunction with police to ensure all guests evacuated the premises safely and were contained in the identified assembly areas outside the hotel," he said.
"Throughout the situation, New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) staff, wearing high-visibility vests, assisted hotel security and MIQ staff in cordoning all guests in the allocated assembly areas.
"Guests were continuously monitored and contained. Staff ensured returnees were social distancing, face coverings were worn and that bubbles were maintained."
It's also emerged that A-Z Collections is just a minute's walk from Mezze Bar, where a New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) worker ate while infectious last week.
The NZDF staffer, who has been working at Auckland's Jet Park quarantine facility, had brunch at the eatery on Durham St East last Thursday.
That was just hours before being swabbed for COVID-19 - a test that later returned a positive result.
As they were only notified of the woman's infection late on Thursday morning, the Ministry of Health has yet to identify the source of her infection.
However the Auckland Regional Public Health Service (ARPHS) is interviewing her to identify any close and casual contacts and understand her movements. Additional locations of interests will be investigated as they are identified, with genome testing to be undertaken overnight.
It's understood the student lives alone, went on limited outings and hadn't visited a supermarket while she was infectious. Nor had she attended any classes or lectures since mid-October.
However she did go to work at A-Z Collection, prompting health officials to ask those who visited the store to seek a test and isolate until the result comes through.
Residents or visitors of the Vincent Residency from November 7-12 are also asked to get a test, as are any Aucklanders with cold or flu symptoms.
Dr Bloomfield is encouraging people in the region to wear a mask and socially distance on planes and public transport.
