Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Covid 19 has been detected on wastewater sampling at Warkworth.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Covid 19 has been detected on wastewater sampling at Warkworth.
Covid 19 has been detected in wastewater testing at Warkworth, just south of Northland's border, with health officials asking anybody around that area who has been to any of the places of interest to get tested.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at today's 1pm press conference said Covid 19 has beenfound in wastewater at Warkworth on Tuesday.
A pop-up centre has been erected in Warkworth and anyone with symptoms from the Warkworth area, or who has been to any of the locations of interest from the current outbreak at the relevant times, to get a test.
There are no confirmed Covid cases in Northland from the Delta variant outbreak. During the last Covid outbreaks Northland recorded a total of 28 Covid cases with all recovering from the virus.
On Thursday day there were 867 Covid-19 test done across Northland.
Northland District Health Board (NDHB) has increased Covid-19 testing availability across the region with centres in Kaitaia, Kerikeri, Kawakawa, Whangārei and Dargaville.
To find your closest testing station go to: https://www.northlanddhb.org.nz/home/covid-19/covid-19-northland-hub/northland-community-testing-centres/
Northlanders are also flocking to vaccination clinics across the region.
Ardern announced today that there are 21 new cases of Covid-19 in the community - bringing the total number of people infected in the latest outbreak to 51.
And she did not think the latest outbreak had hit its peak.
Northland's Covid 19 testing stations, with this one at Whangārei's Pohe Island, have been busy this week. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Because Auckland is at the centre of the outbreak it was "very likely" restrictions would remain beyond Tuesday, Ardern said.
Cabinet is meeting on Monday to make a decision on the country's alert level 4 lockdown restrictions.
Ardern said she expects cases to rise into early next week before they start to drop. The virus can continue to spread during lockdown, as has been seen in New South Wales, Ardern said.
Ardern said the 825 cases announced in NSW today was "devastating".
Eighteen of the new cases are in Auckland and three in Wellington - one of which was reported yesterday, she said.
Twenty-one of the 51 cases are now confirmed as part of the Auckland cluster.
Traces of Covid-19 have been found in Auckland wastewater this week too.
Ardern started her update today by sharing some good news, the most vaccinations in a single day yesterday - 56,843.
Yesterday, New Zealand saw the most Covid tests in a single day: 41,464, Ardern said. Ardern lauded the "record numbers" of testing and vaccinations yesterday.
"We need to test, test, test, to get an accurate picture of the virus," Ardern said.
The outbreak has seen NDHB implement its alert level 4 policy at all its DHB facilities:
This means: Only one support person may accompany:
No other visitors are allowed at this time. Visitors must wear a face mask.
Visitor screening will be in place at all ED entrances.
Northlanders have been keen to get vaccinated with the Kensington Health Hub drive-thru style vaccination clinic in Whangārei seeing plenty of action. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Cabinet has now approved the vaccine for use for 12-15-year olds. From Friday, as parents or guardians become eligible to book for a vaccination, they can also book in a vaccination for any 12 - 15-year olds in their whānau.
Bookings can be made by visiting BookMyVaccine.nz.
