The Tasi Market fruit and vegetable store on Triangle Rd in Massey, West Auckland. Photo / Michael Craig
The Tasi Market fruit and vegetable store on Triangle Rd in Massey, West Auckland. Photo / Michael Craig
A West Auckland supermarket that has been listed as a Covid-19 exposure location eight times has warned customers today that even those who received contactless deliveries are now considered casual contacts.
"If you received an online order via our contactless delivery service on any of these days from Sunday 22August to Sunday 29 August you are regarded to be a CASUAL CONTACT," Tasi Market in Massey announced on its Facebook page this afternoon.
"Please be aware that your groceries have come from a location of interest and monitor carefully for Covid-19 symptoms for the next 14 days."
The business was listed for the eighth time this afternoon on the Ministry of Health's locations of interest list. The latest listing indicates anyone who was at the store on Tuesday, August 24, between 7.30am and 7pm should self-isolate for two weeks after exposure and get tested immediately and again 12 days after exposure.
The store was listed seven other times on Wednesday, with similar instructions for anyone who was there between August 23-29. Deliveries, which would be easy for contact tracers to obtain, are not included in the Ministry of Health's list.
The store closed August 29 after being told of the exposure events, with all staff going into isolation.
"They are well, shocked as to how this could happen, as essential workers!" the store said in a statement on Facebook earlier this week. "We can only reiterate personal responsibility to keep yourself safe, and us safe too!"
There are now 263 exposure events on the Ministry of Health locations of interest list. The latest ones are two other small grocery stores in side-by-side Auckland suburbs.
Skinny Point England Superette in Point England and Supa Value Supermarket in nearby Glen Innes were both added in the ministry's 4pm update. Anyone at the Point England store from 8.15am-8.45am on August 25 is asked to stay at home and get tested immediately. The same instructions apply for anyone who was at the Glen Innes market from 8.21am-9.30am on the same day.
Added earlier today were Mobil stations in Auckland suburbs New Lynn and Favona. The New Lynn location, on Titirangi Rd, was visited from 6.30pm-7pm on Wednesday, August 25. The other station, on Walmsley Rd in Favona, was visited last Friday from 11.59pm-12.15am the next day.
People at many of the locations listed today are advised to self-monitor for symptoms for two weeks after the exposure event and to get a test if symptoms develop.
Those with symptoms are asked to stay at home until receiving a negative test result and for an additional 24 hours after symptoms disappear.
Pak'nSave Sylvia Park has been given two new entries on today's list, believed to have been visited by a person with Covid-19 between 8pm-9.30pm on Tuesday and from 12.15pm-1.45pm on Wednesday. Earlier this morning, a visit to Countdown Hunters Plaza in Papatoetoe was added to the list. The person was there from noon-1pm on Thursday, August 26,
Earlier this week, the Pak'nSave store alerted customers it had been a location of interest on three other occasions. But staff and customers are considered "casual" contacts, the store emphasised on social media.
"Our teams have been working to alert level 4 protocols since Tuesday 17th August, which means the store has been cleaned multiple times throughout the day, has implemented increased sanitisation procedures and mandatory mask wearing for customers and staff," the post read.
Customers queue outside Pak'nSave Sylvia Park during the March 2020 lockdown. Photo / Will Trafford
"These are all aspects which are designed to keep our team and customers safe.
"It's been a challenging time for everyone. We know it's not easy shopping in alert level 4 and, while we are running a bit lean, we remain open. We ask you to please bear with the team as they work to meet your needs #bekind #maskup."
Two laundromats also take up four spots. Mount Smart Ezy Laundromat in Onehunga was visited last Saturday from noon-2pm and on Monday from 5pm-6.45pm, while Kevin's Laundromat in Papatoetoe was visited twice on Monday - between 5.40pm-6.10pm and again from 6.29pm-7.04pm.
Two dairies round out the list. Mount Smart Superette in Onehunga was visited on Wednesday from 8.30am-10.30am and Round The Clock Superette in Manurewa was visited from 1.30pm-2.45pm.
Auckland remains at alert level 4, while the rest of the nation dropped to less stringent lockdown conditions under alert level 3 this week.
