Editorial: Bullets dodged and thanks given

This sign south of Whangārei is stark reminder that the situation in Auckland is right down the road from us Photo / Michael Cunningham

What a whirlwind 10 days it has been.

We all know the story - we were plunged into lockdown after two Covid-positive women falsified documents to travel from Auckland to several locations in the North ,including Whangārei, Onerahi, Paihia and Kawakawa.

The stress and concern emanating from our communities was palpable, as was the disbelief and anger that 180,000 people could be held to ransom by two.

But somehow we dodged a bullet and today we woke up to level 2 and the freedom that brings seems to mean so much more now.

As Auckland is into its third month of lockdown - take a moment to let that sink in - it's hard to imagine what that must be like. Relationships will be strained, mental health will be suffering and every day the financial impact will be getting worse.

Yesterday there were 94 cases, 87 of those in Auckland, across 124 suburbs and the Prime Minister put those numbers down to a result of "non-compliance" of alert level 3 restrictions in our biggest city.

This must be incredibly frustrating for those who are abiding by the rules and doing the best they can to just get through each day.

We also experienced that same sense of frustration with the border breachers, who feel it is their right to come into Tai Tokerau and put us all at risk. The lack of co-operation of the two women was staggering and we were lucky that our fellow Nortlanders were quick to answer the call to get tested to ensure we could be here today.

The speed of this lockdown means we can't be complacent, our situation can change at any moment. Let's make the most of that - and if you haven't already, get vaccinated. It will protect our communities and ensure our health system won't buckle under the strain, should there be an outbreak.

Also, as we head into the long weekend, let's get out there and support our local businesses. They have been doing it tough and need our support, now more than ever.