Covid 19 Delta outbreak: Five positive Northland cases lead to call for more testing, vaccinations

Northlanders are urged to get tested and vaccinated with five positive Covid cases in the region.

Northland remains at Covid alert level 2 despite five positive cases in the region, and Northland's low vaccination rates.

The Ministry of Health confirmed on Sunday that there are now five positive Covid-19 cases in Northland, all linked to the same family and all isolating at home in the Far North.

The positive cases have Northland's alert level 2 status hanging in the balance and health officials are urging people to get tested and vaccinated to stop the virus potentially spreading further.

Sunday's two new cases follow two announced on Friday afternoon and one on Saturday. As well there are seven locations of interest around the mid and Far North related to the cases.

The fifth case was tested as a close contact of the previous confirmed cases.

Northland DHB (NDHB) is strongly encouraging people to get vaccinated and tested. As of Sunday 91,933 (55.8 per cent) of Northland's eligible population of 164,645 had received both vaccinations - nationally 70.5 per cent of the eligible population is fully vaccinated.

Northland is still under Covid alert level 2, but that could change if more cases emerge and close contact numbers expand.

NDHB says support has been put in place for the whānau with the cases, who have worked co-operatively with the Public Health team to identify locations of interest.

Rosalina Puhi has outed herself as the first of the five cases, saying she was nervous about the response she'd get when she decided to reveal to her rural Far North community that it was she and her daughter who had tested positive for Covid-19.

"I was ready to defend myself," she told NZME, explaining that even though she did everything right she was afraid there might be a stigma attached to the diagnosis.

Instead, though, the community has rallied around her family and she, in turn, has tried to support them by answering questions on social media from people who might not have had the confidence to ask had she not shared her story.

"It's really given me a lot of energy to get through the day," she said on Saturday while isolating with her husband and adult daughter at their home near Kaikohe.

She spoke through occasional coughs but said she's suffered mild flu-like symptoms at worst. Her daughter didn't have any symptoms, she said.

The Government confirmed the two cases on Friday afternoon - just days after Northland returned to alert level 2 following a snap lockdown. That lockdown was prompted by an unrelated case involving two women accused of travelling across the Auckland border with alleged falsified documents, then not co-operating with contact tracers.

Read More

• Covid 19 Delta outbreak: 104 new community cases
• Covid 19 coronavirus Delta outbreak: New case in Blenheim
• Covid 19 Delta outbreak: Whole raft of new locations
• Covid 19 Delta outbreak: 102 cases - a new daily record

Puhi emphasised on her Facebook post to the Mangamuka community page that the facts of her case are very different.

She had received an exemption to travel to Auckland on October 16 to drop off her 11-year-old daughter, who had stayed with her during the school holidays. On the way back, she picked up her adult daughter and grandchildren to move back in with her.

Everyone tested negative before leaving Auckland, she said. But then on October 19 they learned that a family member in Auckland had tested positive and they immediately began isolating.

While she could have remained relatively anonymous, Puhi said she felt a duty to ease fears.

‌

On Saturday there were 1082 tests processed in Northland. There were 1134 vaccinations in Northland on Saturday – of these vaccinations, 508 were first doses, and a further 626 were second doses.

Parua Bay Tavern closed on Friday after one staff member self-isolated due to having contact with a confirmed Covid-19 case outside of work. All staff who have been self-isolating have tested negative for Covid-19.

Parua Bay Tavern is not a place of interest and reopened yesterday.

Northland DHB has increased Covid-19 testing availability across the region with centres in Kaitaia, Kerikeri, Kaikohe, Kawakawa, Whangārei and Dargaville.

Additional testing in Northland has been arranged and is available at https://www.northlanddhb.org.nz/home/covid-19/covid-19-northland-hub/

Locations of interest related to Northland's four Covid 19 cases:

■ Kaihu, GAS Kaihu, 2906 State Highway 12, Sunday, October 17, 4.15pm-4.30pm.

■ Kaikohe, Countdown, 37 Station Rd, Tuesday, October 19, 4.15pm- 5.30pm.

■ Kaikohe, Mobil, 19 Broadway, Tuesday, October 19, 5.15pm - 5.45pm.

■ Kaitaia, The Warehouse, 2 North Park Dr, Wednesday October 20, 10.45am-11.05am.

■ Kaitaia, Hunting and Fishing, 11 North Park Drive, Wednesday October 20, 11am-11.30am.

■ Rawene, Boatshed Cafe, 8 Clendon Esplanade, Friday, October 22, 10am - 10.30am.

If you were at any of these places at the relevant times you should:

Self-monitor for Covid-19 symptoms for 14 days after you were exposed at this location of interest. If symptoms develop, get a test and stay at home until you get a negative test result and until 24 hours after symptoms resolve.