South Auckland marae leaders urge communities to be more vigilant as community transmission spreads

South Auckland leaders are calling on their communities to act with urgency and vigilance as Covid-19 community transmission hits closer to home.

Manurewa Marae, Papakura Marae, Te Puea Memorial Marae and Ngā Whare Waatea Marae, Turuki Healthcare and the Manukau Urban Māori Authority are feeling pressures from the latest lockdown due to the spike in community transmission.

They say it's only a matter of time before it reaches the wider South Auckland area.

On Sunday, Turuki Healthcare in Papatoetoe tested more than three times the number of people compared to the day before and just under 300 whānau were tested in a single-lane setup.

Manurewa Marae CEO Takutai Moana Natasha Kemp said a three-day lockdown was not long enough to contain further community transmission "especially in South Auckland because we're at the forefront of it".

"We have to protect our whakapapa, our kaumātua and kuia. It's starting to impact our communities and it's getting too close to home.

"If it gets out to the rest of South Auckland, the impact will be huge and we need more covid resources funding to our community."

With some way to go before the vaccine arrives in South Auckland, the need to control and contain Covid-19 remains front and centre for the South Auckland marae groups, with a simple message: get tested.

"Whānau have become too relaxed about getting tested. Our message to them is to manaaki (support, take care of) whānau.

"Covid testing must be ramped up and we must encourage Covid testing for our whānau even if they are asymptomatic, covid is invisible."

Kemp says Manurewa Marae workers intend to get vaccinated, and are asking other communities to make informed decisions, find credible resources, ask a doctor for advice, and avoid conspiracies on Facebook.

Dr Kimberley Davies from Te Manu Aute Whare Oranga and Amanda from Manurewa Marae shared their story in a Facebook post about getting the Covid-19 vaccine which Kemp says can offer peace of mind for hesitant whānau.

There is a demand for more information on what the vaccine actually does and leaves a lot of space for people to feel less likely to get it.

"Does it mean we no longer have to quarantine, are there any side effects, what will be the impact on pre-existing health conditions and what happens if you refuse to take the vaccine?" chief executive of Te Puea Memorial Marae Huri Dennis asked.

For Kemp, it's personal. She has a granddaughter who is now 1-year-old and wants to see a future with her.

Papakura Marae CEO Tony Kake says while testing is important, the demand for food is at an all-time high with families lining up "down the road" since alert level 3 was announced.

"People can't go to work so their income is affected and they can't feed their family," he said.

Some schools offer free breakfasts and lunch to ease financial stress and poverty among families, but with lockdown underway, stress has heightened.

Papakura is one of many food bank stations available, alongside Manurewa Marae and Kake says "we have plenty of kai for everyone".

"We are well past prioritising testing in South Auckland. Doing what we can to the best of our ability with the resources we have at hand is our reality not priority.

"We are happy to help relieve the pressure at Covid testing sites, so nau mai, haere mai whānau."