"Because there was no other cases of typhoid going on at that time, it was concluded that this was a mini-outbreak related to that family."
A few days later, three others were hospitalised - including the woman who would lose her life to the disease.
She died in Auckland City Hospital last Tuesday.
"It was that point that we connected the three recent cases with the three cases a week or so ago.
"It was up to that point that association of the congregation [was] the common factor."
Sixteen cases of typhoid and two probable cases in Auckland were confirmed yesterday. They include children.
The ARPHS notified the public of the outbreak last Friday - nine days after the first cases were notified to officials.
Asked why the public was not told earlier, Rainger said staff had been working with the church pastor to inform the community about what needed to be done to prevent a spread of the illness.
The woman's funeral was held on Monday, which also delayed things.
Family spokesman Jerome Mika said they were still very much distraught about the situation; especially given they did not know their wife and mother had died from the disease until a day after her funeral.
"They're pretty distraught and angry. This is the time that you'd be reminiscing, grieving and thinking about your loved one.
"They realise that someone or other people might be affected by typhoid - there's just a whole raft of mixed emotions and people are pretty upset about it.
"We're just trying to get all family members tested just to make sure everyone's okay."
He said the family did not understand why they were not informed of the disease their loved one was carrying; which then stopped them from taking necessary precautions.
It was earlier reported the ARPHS felt that cultural protocol and a request to hold off an announcement of the death until after her funeral should be respected.
Labour's Pacific Affairs spokesman, Aupito Su'a William Sio, said the primary concern should have been public safety, not cultural protocol.
"They had members of the church visiting the woman when she was in hospital. They had her school-aged children visiting and embracing her and there were no precautions taken.
"We're a social group. We have large families...they needed to go to the church, but they also needed to go wider than the church."
Today, the head of Wesley Primary School reassured the community that students were not at risk and said their safety was the school's top priority.
"We have just learnt that the woman tragically lost to typhoid was a member of the Samoan Assembly of God [church] that meets in our school hall at weekends," principal Brenda Martin said.
"I must emphasise the advice from Auckland Regional Public Health Service that there is almost no risk that this has spread any further and school will be open as usual tomorrow."
Health Minister Jonathan Coleman said today he was "very unhappy" at finding out about the typhoid outbreak when watching the news last Friday night, rather than through official channels.
"I am very unhappy about that aspect of it. I have received a number of apologies, I certainly don't expect to find out about things on the TV news. That's for sure."
