Covid-19 coronavirus: More Rotorua locations visited by positive cases revealed, day trip to Taupō

Three more Rotorua businesses visited by an Auckland family who tested positive for Covid-19 have been revealed, while they also made a day trip to Taupō.

A Lakes DHB spokeswoman confirmed all affected businesses were contacted by Toi Te Ora-Public Health between 4pm and 7pm yesterday.

There is now a list of nine places visited, these include:

• Wai Ora Lakeside Hotel on Saturday August 8 from 3.30pm until Tuesday August 11 at 9am.

• Herbs & Spices Thai Restaurant on Saturday August 8 from 8pm to 9pm.

• The Fat Dog cafe on Sunday, August 9 between 1.30pm and 2.30pm.

• Pak'nSave Rotorua on Sunday August 9 from 2.30pm to 3pm.

• Skyline Rotorua on Sunday August 9 from 4pm to 5:50pm.

• Made a day trip down to Taupō for a sailing trip from 8am.

• Don Kebab on Monday August 10 from 7pm to 7:30pm.

• Burger Fuel Redwoods on August 10 between 7pm and 8pm.

Medical Officer of Health for Toi Te Ora Public Health Dr Neil de Wet said: "If you were at one of these places at these dates and times there is a small possibility that you may have been exposed, and so you are considered to be a casual contact.

"It is advised that you self-isolate and get tested for COVID-19."

"You can come out of self-isolation when you have a negative test but you should remain vigilant for any symptoms. If at any later stage you have symptoms that may be Covid-19 you must immediately self-isolate and get tested," Dr de Wet said.

A concerned Rotorua mother, whose daughter works at Rotorua PAK'nSAVE, said the Ministry of Health and Toi Te Ora needed to be more upfront about details around where the infected people went.

"I would like to have more info in regards to where they went in Pak'nSave, and what they purchased - was it just petrol, was it just Lotto, did they go through the express till or any till for that matter?

"It would be nice to know because if they touched something and then gave it to someone to scan it could be dangerous.

"I think the ministry [of Health] needs to give more detail so people can make informed decisions."

PAK'nSAVE confirmed in a statement that a person with Covid-19 visited the Rotorua store on Sunday, August 9 between 2.30pm and 3pm, but Toi te Ora considered the visit to be low risk to employees and other shoppers.

"The team at PAK'nSAVE Rotorua has been working closely with Ministry of Health, ensuring all best-practice protocols are followed to keep staff and customers safe," the statement said.

"Heightened measures in place in the store include increased sanitisation practices, perspex protective screens at checkout and physical distancing protocols.

"Customers who were in PAK'nSAVE Rotorua on Sunday, August 9 between 2.30pm and 3pm and have concerns, should contact the dedicated Covid-19 Healthline number."

Don Kebab owner Ali Kakae said he was "shocked" and "upset" after hearing the news. He, his wife and the staff had been tested and were awaiting results.

They had not closed the store but were working with skeleton staff, he said.

"We've had to slow down a bit."

The store was owned locally by Kakae and his wife and he said they had only just got back to running a stable business post-lockdown.

He said it was annoying that one mistake could push them right back and they may even have to shut up shop.

"We are still trying to keep our business going and pay rent."

The Ministry of Health utilised the alert function on the Covid Tracer app for the first time to alert people who were recorded as being in the same location as the confirmed cases on their trip to Rotorua.

There have been about 986,000 downloads of the Covid Tracer app - which is up 338,000 in the last 48 hours.