Covid 19 Delta outbreak: New locations of interest after positive Waikato cases

The first locations of interest in the Waikato outbreak have been revealed after two people tested positive for Covid-19.

New locations of interest outside of Auckland include McDonald's Taupiri, BP Raglan and Supervalue Raglan.

Anyone at McDonald's Taupiri on September 23 between 4pm-4.15pm must stay at home, test immediately as well as again in five days.

Anyone who was at BP Raglan on October 2 between 6.15pm-6.45pm must self-isolate for the next two weeks and receive tests on day five and 12.

Anyone who has visited Supervalue Raglan, on the same day for two hours from 5.30pm, must self-monitor for Covid-19 symptoms.

Aroha Sushi in Raglan has also been added the growing list.

The store was visited on October 1 between 3.15pm to 4.15pm.

Kia ora Whāingaroa We have been contacted by the Ministry of Health and notified that we are a location of interest in...

Posted by Aroha Sushi Raglan on Saturday, October 2, 2021

BP Connect Taupiri is another location of interest in the small Waikato town. The gas station was visited on September 23 for an hour from 3pm.

Anyone who was at the station during this time must also must self-isolate for the next two weeks and receive tests on day five and 12.

The Ministry of Health is asking anyone who visited McDonald's Taupiri, BP Connect Taupiri, BP Raglan or Aroha Sushi Raglan to record their visit online or call Healthline so contact tracers can get in touch.

The new locations of interest show a person infected with Covid-19 was active in Raglan yesterday, visiting two local locations.

Alongside these Waikato locations of interest, a number of new Auckland locations have been revealed this evening.

Hamilton and Raglan moved to alert-level 3 from 11.59pm last night after the discovery of two Delta cases in the Waikato spots.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the alert-level elevation at a hastily arranged 1pm press conference following the discovery of the two Waikato cases - in Raglan and Hamilton East. Both people are known to each other but there is yet to be an established link to the Auckland outbreak.

Ardern said Level 3 would be imposed from 11.59pm in Raglan, Te Kauwhata, Ngaruawahia, Hamilton city and Huntly.

Hamilton will have spot checks around the boundary areas but it won't be like Auckland's hard boundary - for practical reasons. There were too many feeder roads into the Hamilton area, she said.

Ardern asked people to comply with the restrictions and work from home if they could.

The level 3 restrictions will apply for an initial five days while wide contact tracing, testing and wastewater testnig occurs. Anyone with symptoms should get testing.

Auckland's boundary remained in place, said Ardern. Cabinet meets on Monday to decide the future of level 3 but experts such as Michael Baker say it's unlikely the region can move out of level 3 this week based on the Waikato cases.

Earlier on Sunday evening, the Ministry of Health released a number of new Auckland locations of interest including a gas service station which was visited yesterday afternoon.

Gas in Albany Heights was visited by a person infected with Covid-19 on October 2 between 12.15pm and 12.45pm.

Coronation Superette Hillcrest was also recently visited by a person with Covid-19. The superette was visited on October 1 between 12.45pm and 1.15pm. As well as on September 30 between the same times.

Pak'nSave Albany was visited twice by an inected person on September 20, for two hours from 8pm. The supermarket was also visited on September 30 for the same period of time.

Six new Auckland locations of interest were released by the Ministry of Health on Sunday afternoon, including a popular south Auckland fish and chips shop.

Anyone at these locations must self-monitor for Covid-19 symptoms for the next 14 days.

Ardern said today's announcements around Auckland would not apply to Hamilton as they were separate outbreaks.

She urged people to get vaccinated.

"It is not a coincidence that those in our current [Waikato] outbreak have not been vaccinated," Ardern said.

Unvaccinated people were in the minority but were the vast majority of cases - "because the vaccine works."

Ardern says the two cases identified in the Waikato are connected to each other but not, at this stage, to Auckland's outbreak.

Further investigation including genome sequencing would help work out the link, said Ashley Bloomfield.

The Raglan case and their family are now in quarantine in Auckland.

Anyone in Raglan with symptoms is urged to get tested.

The Hamilton case was tested on Saturday and transferred to Waikato Hospital - there are no exposure events from the hospital as they were well prepared to receive the patient. Their family members are self-isolating.

Anyone in Hamilton with symptoms is asked to get tested and isolate till getting their result.

There would be a number of locations of interest, particularly around the Hamilton case. They had moved "locally" for a period of time, said Ardern.

Ardern wasn't aware of any movement outside the region or anyone from Auckland who was in contact with the family.

She said the vaccine kept people safe and gave us choices. A 90% vaccination rate in Hamilton or Raglan would have made it "highly unlikely" that level 3 would have been announced.

"The people of Auckland are sacrificing a lot...to give everyone else time to be vaccinated.

"Please get vaccinated today if you want to avoid level 3 in your community."

She understood people were nervous about the jab but assured them it was safe. The nurses were friendly and could answer any questions. There were still 887,000 eligible people who hadn't been vaccinated.

"We have a different approach to Covid within our sights."

People were looking ahead to summer and their plans - the vaccine was what would make summer plans possible.

There are 1500 vaccination bookings today and 2800 tomorrow in the Waikato.

A number of walk-in centres are also open today.