Covid-19 coronavirus: Carterton council worker's message to community after positive result

The Carterton District Council worker asks people to look out for one another. Photo / 123RF

After coping abuse on social media for testing positive for coronavirus, a Carterton District Council worker has an important message for Kiwis.

It had been a difficult time for the worker and while "99 per cent" of people were supportive, others had been "really harsh".

"This has been a really difficult time for me," the worker said.

"My workmates and 99 per cent of people out there have been really supportive but some have been really harsh on social media and I just want to remind people to please be kind to everyone."

Last Saturday, the district council announced one of its staff members was a confirmed case of the potentially deadly virus Covid-19.

All close contacts of the unnamed worker's social group, both locally and in the Kāpiti area, all tested negative for the virus.

As a precaution, nine district council workers were identified as casual contacts and they too had all tested negative.

Public health had also cleared the worker, the district council said in a statement.

The worker would continue to help and protect the community by following isolation rules soon to be applied to all Kiwis.

At 11.59pm, New Zealand would enter lockdown for the next four weeks in a bid to stop the spread of Covid-19, of which there were 205 cases.

From personal experience, the worker who tested positive wanted to tell Kiwis how difficult it was being on your own.

"I really want people to please be kind to everyone. Being stuck on your own is really difficult," the worker said.

"Please keep in touch with your neighbours over the fence and keep a safe distance."

Carterton District Council staff had been working from home to keep essential services in the community running, it also said in the statement.

It comes after many Kiwis tonight received an alert to their mobile phones from Civil Defence as the country prepared to enter lockdown.

Meanwhile, a State of Emergency had also been declared earlier today.

• Covid19.govt.nz: The Government's official coronavirus advisory website

Fifty new cases of Covid-19 were announced today by Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield.

The total number of confirmed and probable cases of the virus in New Zealand had reached 205, as of Wednesday.

Elsewhere, 22 people total had recovered from the virus - yesterday only 12 had recovered. More than 9700 tests had also been carried out.

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