Two confirmed Covid cases in Tauranga should be a "wake-up call", a resident says, and another says the region has been living "in paradise".
The Ministry of Health confirmed the city's first cases in the Delta outbreak on Thursday- one in Tauranga, understood to be in Pyes Pā - and the other in Mount Maunganui.'
Meanwhile a Pāpāmoa primary school will be closed today due to the "strong likelihood" there is Covid-19 case among the school community.
This followed multiple Covid-positive wastewater samples from Tauranga and Mount Maunganui, with the earliest detection last Wednesday.
No one can say how far the virus may have spread in the city, but experts say high vaccination rates would be key to reducing transmission. Residents and visitors have also been told to watch for locations of interest to be released and get tested immediately if they had even mild symptoms.
Mount Maunganui Residents, Ratepayers and Retail Association president Michael O'Neill said the positive case had given the suburb its "wake-up call".
He said last month's false-positive scare in Katikati and last week's wastewater detections meant the virus had already been on people's minds.
"We've had it good until now but it was always going to be inevitable [that cases would appear]. Hopefully most of the Mounties have got themselves prepared for it."
Pyes Pā resident Larry Baldock said the city had "lived in paradise for a while now", and had little to relate to in Auckland or the rest of the world, but that would change.
"There's nothing like a live case to make people start thinking about vaccination," said Baldock, who represented Pyes Pā on Tauranga City Council before the commission was appointed.
"As soon as you get a case in your neighbourhood people start thinking, 'oh crikey, better go and get the vaxx'."
Pyes Pā cafe four14 Espresso owner Michelle Boyce said her staff had "lots of questions" about whether the positive case meant there would be a lockdown and if the cafe would close.
"Based on previous cases, some places of interest have been locked down [and] some places of interest have continued to trade.
"We know nothing really until we're told."
University of Canterbury professor and Covid-19 modeller Michael Plank said it was "hard to say" how much the virus could have spread, with a week between the wastewater detection and first confirmed cases.
"It depends very much on how much those cases have been in the community, how many contacts they've had and whether those contacts are vaccinated or not," Plank said.
"If [the case has] largely been in contact with vaccinated people and live in a high-vaccination area, it's possible this won't go anywhere - it'll fizzle out. We've seen that in Christchurch recently. If it's a low vaccinated community there's a higher risk it'll establish and generate further spread."
The latest breakdowns by suburb show full vaccination levels in Mount Maunganui are at 74.7 to 82.6 per cent of eligible residents, with Pyes Pā areas sitting at 82 to 83.6 per cent.
Bay of Plenty District Health Board Covid-19 incident controller
Trevor Richardson said Tauranga Hospital had been moved to "a heightened state of preparedness".
All patients showing Covid-type symptoms were being treated as if they had Covid and isolated in "negative pressure rooms" until further tests had been run, he said.
Hospitals may experience increased pressure in the coming days, he said.
"This is a situation we have been anticipating and preparing for and we have processes and plans in place to help manage it."
Toi Te Ora medical officer of health Dr Bruce Duncan asked anyone in the wider Tauranga area, or anyone who visited the region in the past fortnight, to get tested if they were symptomatic.
"After you are tested, you need to remain isolated until you return a negative test result."
Duncan said the rapid increase in cases in the Bay of Plenty region was a reminder to get a Covid-19 vaccination.
"Vaccination is the best way to keep yourself, your loved ones and the community safe from the virus. If you haven't already had your vaccination, now is the time to get it."
Tauranga MP Simon Bridges said Covid-19 in Tauranga was "inevitable" but it would still be concerning to locals.
"My electorate office and I are always available to help constituents affected in any way - don't hesitate to get in contact."
Tauranga City Council Commission chairwoman Anne Tolley said it was "crucial" for everyone in the community to keep wearing face coverings, socially distance, maintain good hand hygiene, use the tracer app and get tested if they had symptoms or had been in a location of interest.
"We now have a job to do and that's to keep our whānau and friends safe and prevent the virus from taking hold in Tauranga."
Western Bay of Plenty mayor Garry Webber said it was "sad" the virus had arrived and implored unvaccinated people to roll up their sleeves.
The Katikati scare initially boosed vaccination levels but these had since waned, he said.
"We have pockets of our community where the vaccination rates are pretty damn low and we've got to step it up if we want to get through this."
Tauranga Chamber of Commerce chief executive Matt Cowley said workplaces had been planning, training and stocking up for when Delta arrived.
"Their planning will now be tested."
Cowley expected the Bay of Plenty would start the new traffic light framework under Red status given the wider region's relatively low vaccination level.
In the Bay of Plenty DHB area, 87 per cent of the eligible population had received their first dose and 76 per cent were fully vaccinated.
"Businesses are preparing for the new traffic light framework and assessing whether they will require vaccine passes to stay open this summer," he said.
"Employers should be preparing for staff to be required to isolate as case numbers will likely increase. Businesses can apply for funding from Government to help employees to isolate at home while they wait for testing or recover if they're infectious."
The Tauranga case came after today's official 9am cut-off time for reporting and would be formally included in yesterday's figures.
The Ministry of Health declined to provide details about the positive cases including if and how long they had been symptomatic, if they had been out in the community, and when they were tested.
Mount Maunganui vaccination rates
• Mount Maunganui North: 89 per cent first dose, 80 per cent fully vaccinated.
• Mount Maunganui South: 93.4 per cent first dose, 82.6 per cent fully vaccinated.
• Mount Maunganui Central: 89.4 per cent first dose, 74.7 per cent fully vaccinated.
Pyes Pā vaccination rates
• Pyes Pā West: 93.5 per cent first dose, 83.6 per cent fully vaccinated.
• Pyes Pā South: 91.9 per cent first dose, 83.3 per cent fully vaccinated.
• Pyes Pā North: 89.8 per cent first dose, 82 per cent fully vaccinated.
Tauranga City
• Mount Maunganui Sports Centre - Corner of Maunganui & Hull Roads (10am–6pm Friday 19/11 and 10am-4pm Saturday 20/11)
• Tauranga central-100 First Ave. Drive-through accessed via carpark next to Noel Leeming on Second Ave (8am–4pm, Monday–Friday)
• Tauranga Racecourse (10am–6pm Friday 19/11 and 10am–4pm Saturday 20/11)
• Accident & Healthcare -19 Second Ave (8am–6pm, seven days) This site is testing symptomatic patients and those who require clinical review only, and not those seeking 'swab only' (asymptomatic) testing.
Whakatāne District
• Whakatāne - Med Central Portacom, 52B King St (10am–4pm, Monday–Saturday)
• Murupara, Koromiko St (10am–4pm, Monday–Friday)
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