Covid 19 coronavirus Delta outbreak: Whangārei Mayor hits out at Aucklanders escaping to holiday homes ahead of lockdown

Whangārei Mayor Sheryl Mai has hit out at Aucklanders pouring into Northland in the face of strict alert level 4 Covid-19 lockdowns.

Mai said anecdotal evidence indicated Aucklanders had again exited northward in droves on Tuesday evening, ahead of the country's alert level 4 Covid-19 lockdown starting.

She said this placed Northlanders, in their home, at risk.

Whangārei Mayor Sheryl Mai. Photo / Tania Whyte

That was particularly the case with the more contagious Delta strain being confirmed for the first Devonport case, identified on Tuesday.

"In the situation facing us, even one Aucklander is one too many," Mai said.

"To Aucklanders who think they need to come to their holiday home in Northland, think again. This is our home, you stay in your home.

"Clearly this week's new cases are Auckland-based. People coming up here from Auckland may not even know they have been exposed to the virus before they left. And I just hope nobody has come up here feeling sick, that's even worse."

Mai said the Covid-19 level 4 lockdown rules were there for a reason, to protect people.
Those who moved between regions were compromising this.

She said Aucklanders who had come to Northland must now make sure to stay home in their new bubble, just like Northlanders were doing.

Mai said it was crucial Northlanders adhered to level 4's stay home rules.

The situation facing New South Wales, where New Zealand's new Delta case is linked to, was being compounded by people who were actively infected out in the community.

New Zealand Prime Minister said today New South Wales' latest 600-plus new Covid-19 cases included about 90 actively infected people mixing in the community.

Mai said it was also crucial Northlanders got vaccinated and used their Covid-19 scanner app.

Mai said she used it constantly, as many as half a dozen times daily.

Kaipara deputy mayor Anna Curnow was today urging people to get vaccinated fast in the face of Auckland's rapidly-growing Covid-19 community case numbers.

She said Wednesday's confirmation of this week's first new Covid-19 community case as being Delta added new dimensions to the challenges of managing the outbreak.

Kaipara was on Auckland's border, making it more exposed to the risk from what were at edition time seven new Covid-19 community cases.

"If we want to be able to return to any kind of confidently normal life, we need to be vaccinated," Curnow said.

"It's very easy to do and completely painless."

Her comments come ahead of Covid-19 vaccinating restarting on Thursday morning after a 24 hour halt, following discovery of the Devonport Delta case.

"Delta's a significantly more contagious variant of the virus," she said.

She said Northlanders should also be using their Covid tracer app.

"I scan religiously, every time I go anywhere – petrol stations, cafes, shops, museums, council buildings.

"It's easy and what keeps us safe."

She is working with Northland police around clarification of the Northland Auckland border, should different lockdown levels eventuate after what's currently a three-day level 4 lockdown for the region – whilst from Saturday Auckland remains in its week-long level 4 lockdown.

Kaipara District Council today moved straight to online meeting, livestreaming on Facebook.