While the new border case has not been vaccinated, officials insist 90 percent of the frontline border workforce has had at least one dose of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine.
But 90 percent of what? That's the question the Government is still trying to answer, admitting to Newshub it doesn't know exactly how many border workers there are.
Forty-seven days ago, frontline border workers started getting vaccinated. It was meant to keep them and us safe from COVID-19.
But on Thursday, the Ministry of Health was informed of one new border-related case.
The security guard was working in the Grand Millennium and hasn't been vaccinated. He was tested on Tuesday after developing a sore throat four days ago.
But he's low risk to the community - he lives alone.
"The case travels to work in a private vehicle with a colleague," Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said in a press conference on Thursday afternoon.
She's a close contact and is isolating at home. She's been fully vaccinated.
Dr Bloomfield couldn't say why the security guard hasn't even had his first jab - just that he hasn't refused it.
"I don't think he's falling through the cracks. I just don't have any further detail," he said.
Maybe it's because the Ministry of Health doesn't actually know how many border workers there are.
It admitted in a statement to Newshub "we don't have the precise number of people" in the border workforce because they were "continually being recruited".
But despite not knowing the size of the workforce, it still insists 90 percent has had at least one dose.
Ninety per cent of the unknown - the health boss doesn't know how many other MIQ workers are yet to be vaccinated.
National's COVID-19 spokesperson Chris Bishop says it's "staggering" the exact figure remains a mystery.
"I just can't believe that the Government can't say how many border workers there are and how many haven't been vaccinated."
The Government is doing a stocktake to work that out - and if they haven't been vaccinated by Monday they're off the frontline.
"On Monday we start beginning the process of those who have not [been vaccinated] being moved into other roles," Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Thursday.
The group of frontline border workers was first believed to be about 12,000 - but now officials think there's more than 16,000, meaning hundreds may not have had a jab.
It's still baffling that the Government can put a percentage figure on how many it's vaccinated when it has no idea how many workers there are.
