Covid 19 coronavirus: Waitangi Day organisers keeping close eye on Covid - iwi leaders say don't come North

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at Waitangi Day commemorations last year. Organisers are still to determine if there will be changes to this year's event, given the Covid-19 situation.

Waitangi Day organisers are looking closely at whether the commemorations will go ahead after two new Covid-19 cases in Auckland.

Up to 30,000 people attend annual Waitangi Day commemorations in the Bay of Islands and it is Northland's largest annual event.

Waitangi National Trust chairman Pita Tipene said safety was paramount.

Pita Tipene, Waitangi National Trust chairman.

He said the trust was now reappraising its decision made earlier this week, after the Northland Covid-19 community case was confirmed, to proceed with Waitangi commemorations.

"We're continuing to appraise things on an hour by hour basis," Tipene said.

"The first case heightened our sense of anxiety two days ago. Now that's gone through the ceiling. At the start of the week we were optimistic, people continued with what it was they were doing. Maybe now, that's no longer the case, so we have to reassess.

"We will make a decision as a Waitangi National Trust leadership group."

Trustees and hapu Ngati Rahiri and Ngati Kawa would be part of communication around this.

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"And we'll be courteous enough to speak to the Government," Tipene said.

A Northland woman on Sunday became New Zealand's first community Covid-19 case since November after being infected with the virus in her Auckland managed isolation facility. Two further Auckland community cases from the same managed isolation facility were announced on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Northland iwi leaders are calling on New Zealanders not to travel to Tai Tokerau after the three cases.

"The call we made earlier this week is even more important now, after the two new cases," Harry Burkhardt, Te Kahu o Taonui (Te Taitokerau Iwi Chairs Forum) chairman said.

"We urge caution and consideration as we work together to protect our whānau from Covid-19 and ask that we all continue to help protect our kaumātua and tamariki by staying home and not travelling to Te Taitokerau unless absolutely necessary. Be safe, be vigilant, stay home, don't travel.

"If you're thinking of travelling from Auckland to Kaitaia for the weekend, don't come."

Burkhardt said health was more important than economics.

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"Our health has a higher delegation than our economic wellbeing. You can have a pocket full of money and be dead," Burkhardt said.

The risk from Covid-19 was currently very small. But once in the community as it was, it took only one step before it took off like wildfire.

His comments come ahead of Waitangi weekend and its national commemorations during the first of two pending long weekends. Visitors are also expected into the region for Northland/Auckland Anniversary weekend, from today.

Northland iwi leaders on Tuesday said they would not be attending Waitangi commemorations.

"It is important that a forum such as ours shows leadership in relation to the health and wellbeing of our people. As such we have made the collective decision to move our proposed ... face to face hui [at Waitangi] to an online/virtual kaupapa," Dame Kahurangi Naida Glavish, Te Runanga o Ngāti Whatua chairwoman, said.

"What would it be like if Northland iwi leaders were super spreaders," Burkhardt said.

Te Kahu o Taonui met virtually on Tuesday after the Northland Covid-19 case – New Zealand's first since November and the first in Northland since April 2020.

Burkhardt said nobody could be forced not to come to Te Taitokerau.

But he said health and wellbeing were a priority. People needed to think about this.

Northland and New Zealand is in alert level 1, meaning domestic travel is allowable.

Charles Parker, Bay of Islands Marketing Group and Business Paihia chairman, said he too was closely watching Waitangi Day developments.

He understood that although businesses would be impacted if Waitangi Day commemorations did not go ahead, the health of the community was paramount.

Burkhardt said it was for Waitangi National Trust and those on the Te Tii Marae to make the decision about Waitangi Day going ahead.