Child in Waikato with Covid-19 was symptomatic at school

Two children are among the positive Covid-19 cases in Waikato, of which at least one went to school while symptomatic.

The Ministry of Health on Sunday night announced three people had tested positive for Covid-19 in Kaiaua/Whakatīwai, Waikato.

All three are household members of the man in Mt Eden prison who was confirmed as having contracted the virus on Sunday.

The man was remanded on bail into a household with nine other people before being later transferred to Mt Eden prison.

Three people in the household tested positive for Covid-19 and have or will be transferred into managed isolation.

Five people in the household have tested negative and one result is outstanding, Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson told Breakfast on Monday.

According to the ministry on Sunday, two of the three household members attend Mangatangi School on the Hauraki Plains. The school has a roll around 100 students.

"At least one of the young people was symptomatic at school on Thursday. The school has been closed and parents have been contacted," the ministry said.

Robertson added that he wanted everyone in the school community to be tested for the virus, with arrangements made at the school to do that.

"Clearly this is the area we'll now be focussing on to see if there has been any further transmission and we want people to make sure that if they're got any symptoms whatsoever in the area that they isolate and get tested."

The three Waikato cases and the prisoner are preliminarily linked to the Auckland Delta outbreak, but it is yet to be confirmed.

Earlier on Breakfast, Waikato District Mayor Allan Sanson said he couldn't understand why a prisoner was remanded in Waikato, which is at Alert Level 2, while they'd been in Auckland at Level 4.

Robertson said it was a decision made by the court, with consideration of what will keep them and the community safe.

"Obviously this is quite close to the Alert Level 4 boundary but I do acknowledge that it is Alert Level 2," he said.

"The reason that we've kept the rest of the country at Alert Level 2 while Auckland is at Alert Level 4 is because we want to take a precautionary approach.

"At Alert Level 2 we wear masks, we have physical distancing, we make sure that we're scanning in everywhere. But these are decisions the court makes and I'm sure they bore in mind the safety if the community when they did that."