Covid-19 Omicron outbreak: Public Health warns virus will affect 'every part of our community'

The Bay of Plenty's public health unit is warning residents to brace for the eventuality that Omicron will affect "every part of our community".

The warning comes as 58 new Covid-19 cases were reported in the Bay of Plenty District Health Board region and nine in the Lakes District Health Board area yesterday. Two cases were in Rotorua Hospital and two were in Tauranga Hospital.

On Wednesday, 33 new Covid cases were reported in the Bay of Plenty District Health Board area.

At the time, Toi Te Ora Public Health medical officer of health Dr Jim Miller said: "These have affected settings such as preschools, supported housing, aged care facilities, and hospitality across Toi Te Ora's area."

However, in a statement yesterday, he said "every part of our community" would be affected as the current Omicron wave was "well under way" in our area.

Open up the latest news from Bay of Plenty

Get daily Bay of Plenty headlines straight to your inbox.

Please email me competitions, offers and other updates. You can stop these at any time.

Email address

Sign Up

By signing up for this newsletter, you agree to NZME’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

"Every part of our community, individuals, families and whānau, hospitals, general practices, preschools, schools, businesses of all kinds, marae, residential care for the elderly and others, churches and religious settings, voluntary groups and many other settings and community groups will all be affected.

Toi Te Ora Public Health medical officer of health Dr Jim Miller. Photo / NZME

"However, we have all had experience of managing Covid, and there has been much planning for where we find ourselves today."

Public Health had been focused on keeping Covid out of communities and encouraging vaccination, and once there were cases trying "very hard" to control further spread.

"We now need to re-focus our efforts."

Miller said Toi Te Ora would continue to support cases and contacts and manage cluster outbreaks, however, this would increase only where help was most needed.

Many organisations and settings had "great plans in place" to keep staff and the public as safe as possible, and most cases and contacts would be able to manage their illness and self-isolation with the available advice, he said.

BestStart early childhood centres in Tauranga and Rotorua reopen

BestStart Educare deputy chief executive Fiona Hughes said the centres in Pyes Pa and on Pukutua St in Rotorua were open again after both had been closed last month due to positive Covid cases.

BestStart Pyes Pa had closed after a case was at the centre on January 19 and was likely infectious at the time. More than 70 children and staff were onsite the same day as the case.

BestStart on Pukuatua St in Rotorua had also been closed after a child who attended the daycare tested positive for Covid, Hughes confirmed at the time.

In a statement yesterday, Hughes said the original case at BestStart Pyes Pa came from an exposure one of its parents had, which led to 12 positive cases.

There were no positive cases associated with the centre at Pukuatua St, she said.

BestStart Pyes Pa was closed last month after a positive Covid case visited the centre on January 19. Photo / Sandra Conchie

But BestStart Omokoroa was now closed after a teacher tested positive for Covid on February 16, Hughes said.

"We were concerned to hear about our teacher's test result and wish her a speedy recovery."

Hughes said BestStart was committed to the safety and wellbeing of its children, team members and families and had regular safety briefings to ensure all staff were trained in the steps they needed to follow in the event of an outbreak.

It had also informed parents and whānau of steps they should follow in case they became a close contact or tested positive, she said.

The Ministry of Education provided "a snapshot" of data capturing schools, kura and ECE that its regional education offices were supporting with case management, contact tracing and communication.

Twenty schools were being supported in the Bay of Plenty/Waiariki region.

This included eight early learning services, eight primary schools, one intermediate and three secondary schools.

The data was accurate as of 10.30am on February 17.

No further cases at Metlifecare Pāpāmoa Beach Village

A Metlifecare spokesperson confirmed no other people had tested positive for Covid-19 after a staff member who worked in a Metlife Care Pāpāmoa Beach Village dementia unit tested positive for Covid-19 on February 11.

The staff member remained in self-isolation and was "recovering well", the spokesperson said.

They would return to work upon clearance from Public Health.

"Our village and care home staff have done a wonderful job applying stringent infection prevention and control measures over the last week to reduce the risk of any spread of the virus and will continue to do so to keep our residents and staff as safe as possible."

A staff member who worked in the Metlifecare Pāpāmoa Beach Village dementia unit tested positive for Covid on February 11. Photo / Talia Parker

Metlife acknowledged the continued support from the local district health board and Public Health.

The Toi Toi dementia unit and care home was also planning to reopen to visitors today, subject to no further concerns from Public Health.

"We ask that families and friends who plan to visit their loved ones from Saturday continue to follow our standard visiting processes."

This included only fully vaccinated visitors were allowed and wearing a medical-grade mask.

Rapid antigen testing would also be required on arrival and a maximum of two guests were allowed per visit.