Covid 19 Coronavirus: Low risk for hundreds at Ruakākā beach volleyball festival last week

Hundreds of people were in Ruakākā Beach for a beach volleyball tournament from January 19 to 24. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Hundreds of athletes from around New Zealand were at a national beach volleyball festival in Ruakākā last week, when the country's latest Covid case visited the beachside town in Northland.

About 300 players participated in the Ruakākā Beach Bash, a week-long series of beach volleyball championships that took place from January 19 to 24.

Festival organisers say the Covid case was not at any of the events, and so far they are not aware of any participant who was in the same location at the same time as the case, a 56-year-old Northland woman.

The case had visited a butcher, a grocery store, and a FreshChoice supermarket in Ruakākā on 16 January, three days before the tournament started on January 19.

She then travelled through Mangawhai to Helensville before returning to Ruakākā on January 22, where she visited a pharmacy.

The places she visited were in the town centre, 5km away from the beach volleyball festival on Ruakākā Beach.

"It would seem we're in an extremely low-risk situation," said Dave Miller, managing director of Beached Az Events, promoter of the festival.

"At this stage we don't want to cause panic so we're asking everyone to follow the guidelines on the Health Ministry website," he said.

Beach volleyball festival organiser Dave Miller. Photo / Michael Cunningham

The Health Ministry says anyone who went to a location of interest around the same time of the case, or may be showing symptoms, should get a test.

A list of 30 locations the Covid case visited is available here.

The Ruakākā Beach Bash took place along a 200m stretch of the white sand beach.

Participants of the tournament ranged from teenagers under 13 to adults over 35. Coaches, families, friends and members of the public were also there.

Actual numbers are hard to say but Miller estimates about 500 people a day at the event's busiest on the weekend, and about 200 a day on weekdays.

Miller's estimate is in line with that of Surf Lifesaving Northern Region: about 200 people a day on average between the flags where lifeguards were stationed at Ruakākā Beach, says operations manager Alan Gibson.

The Health Ministry is advising concerned people who have not been to a location of interest to contact Healthline on 0800 358 5453, or to call their GP to see if a test is needed.

People are reminded to stay home if unwell, maintain hygiene, including washing and drying hands, and to cough or sneeze into the elbow.