No further Covid-19 cases have been detected in Rarotonga from over 300 tests carried out at the Terevete Park testing station yesterday.

Te Marae Ora Ministry of Health tested 371 people yesterday, on top of the 90 tested on Sunday, February 13.

Of the 371 PCR tests, 211 came back negative as of 8.30pm last night, with 160 still awaiting results. There were also 46 RAT tests conducted at the airport, with all returning a negative result.

Of the 90 tests conducted on Sunday, there was only one positive case – the country’s first Covid-19 community case – identified as a recent arrival from New Zealand.

So-far 14 identified close contacts of this positive case have been tested, with 11 returning a negative result – including the two people travelling and staying with the positive case. The results of three of these tests are still pending. All of these close contacts have been formally quarantined for 10 days, while the positive case remains in isolation.

The variant of the lone positive case in Rarotonga is still unknown. A swab from the positive test has been sent to New Zealand for confirmation.

The drive through station at the Terevete Park was set up for people who have had been to over 10 locations of interest that the positive case had visited which includes a number of bars and nightclubs, eateries, a bank and supermarket.

A mother of two children, Tokoa Taringa, who got tested yesterday, had worked her regular Saturday night shift at Trader Jacks which is a location of interest. “We had a lot of diners inside upstairs and outside, I had no idea about what was happening until my mother called me (Sunday night), so I’m here to get tested.”

Taringa is fully vaccinated and showed no signs of being ill and got through the test with ease. “It was awkward, but not sore; I’m not scared I’m vaccinated, I’m just worried for my 1-year old baby though, if my results come back negative,” she said.

The health ministry’s testing regime will continue today, with the Terevete Park (Constitution Park) testing station open from 9am to 4pm, and the Arataki testing site at the Airport open from 10am – 2pm.

“We will also be providing public updates on our test numbers and results on a daily basis from now on.”

Locations of interest

Friday February 4 – Trader Jacks (11pm-midnight); Saturday February 5 – Rehab (midnight-1am), Edgewater restaurant (7-9.30pm); Monday February 7 – Mareko in town (8.30-9.30am); Thursday February 10 – Air NZ flight NZ946, rows 61-65, Island Car Hire across from the airport (2-3pm), Wigmore’s Superstore (4-5pm), Muri Night Market (7-8pm), Tem’s Store in Muri (7-8pm), Tupapa Centre (7.30-8.30pm), Palace Takeaways (7.30-8.30pm), Trio’s Bar (9-11pm); Friday February 11 – BCI ATM (morning – around noon), Police Station (morning – around noon), Palace Takeaways (12.30-1pm), OTR (1-2pm), ANZ bank (2-3pm), Party bus from 8.30pm onwards – Hula Bar, Luna Bar, OTR, Rehab; Saturday February 12 – Trader Jacks (7-9pm).