South Canterbury's medical officer of health is reassuring customers at a supermarket where a man with Covid-19 shopped that they are not at "increased risk" of catching the virus.

Police confirmed on Saturday that a 47-year-old man with coronavirus who went shopping at Timaru's Browne St Countdown on Wednesday was arrested and given a pre-charge warning.

"The customers who were at the Countdown supermarket last Wednesday around 1pm are not classified as close contacts of the case and, as such, they are not at increased risk of contracting the disease," Dr Cheryl Brunton told Stuff.

She said a close contact was defined as any person with direct exposure to a suspected, confirmed or probable case during the case's infectious period, without appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), such as being face to face (within 2 metres), living in the same household or dealing with the person's body fluids.

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Dr Burton said that at alert level 4, supermarkets were required to have measures in place to ensure customers were kept safe, including limiting the number of customers in the store at one time for customers to be able to keep two metres apart.

Staff from Community and Public Health, the South Canterbury District Health Board's public health unit, had been in regular contact with the man since his diagnosis, she said.

"I'd like to reassure the public that the man now understands that he must remain isolated until he is released by our staff," Dr Brunton said.

Sergeant Grant Lord, of Timaru, said the man was arrested later on Wednesday afternoon. No other details were available.

Lord said under Ministry of Health rules a breach of Covid-19 guidelines was a stand alone offence and there was no differentiation between anyone with the virus or without.

Bejon Haswell/Stuff Timaru's Browne St Coundown on Saturday morning, where a 47-year-old man shopped while he had the coronavirus.

The penalty for a breach was a $1000 fine regardless of how the offender breached the rules, he said.



Under the Health Act 1956 Section 70 (1) (f) while in a state of emergency the medical officer of health can require a person be isolated, quarantined or disinfected as they think fit.

Esther Ashby-Coventry A staff member at the Timaru Butler St Covid-19 testing centre.

Lord reminded the public that the country was still in level 4 meaning people needed to stay home and only go out for essentials.

"The level 4 rules still apply and people still need to consider why they are going out to places," he said.

One new case of Covid-19 was confirmed in South Canterbury on Saturday bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the region to 15.

When contacted by Stuff Countdown would not comment on whether customers in the Timaru store at the time had been notified of the breach and referred questions to police.

Asked if staff working at the time the man was in the store had been tested for Covid-19, a spokesperson said they would not give information to the media related to their team's privacy.

The South Canterbury District Health Board would like to remind the public that the best way to protect themselves and prevent the spread of Covid-19 is by following this advice: