August 29 2021
There are 83 Covid community cases today, taking the total cases in the outbreak to 511. The number is similar to the total reported yesterday - and officials and experts will be hoping this signals that the country's Delta outbreak might be at a plateau.
One new location of interest have been linked to positive cases who were out in the community over the past few days - with the latest exposure site now one visited two days ago.
4pm update
The Met Apartments in central Auckland was visited six times by a person who has since tested positive for Covid-19. These times are:
• Thursday 19 August 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm. • Monday 23 August 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. • Tuesday 24 August 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. • Wednesday 25 August 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. • Thursday 26 August 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. • Friday 27 August 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm.
The Met Apartments is located on 11 Durham Street East. Photo / Google Maps
Those who were on level 5 on August 24, 25 and 26 must are considered potential close contacts and must isolate for 14 days and get tested on day five and 12.
Those who were at the apartments on the other date must also follow that advice.
12pm update
Newton Pharmacy Sport and Health, at 283 Karangahape Rd in central Auckland, has been identified as a location of interest by the Ministry of Health.
A Covid positive case or cases was at the pharmacy for just over half an hour on Friday afternoon, between 3.15pm and 3.50pm.
The Newton Pharmacy, on Karangahape Road in central Auckland, has been named a location of interest. Image / Google
Anyone who was there at the same time is being told to stay home and to organise to get a Covid test immediately and again on or around day five after the last exposure date.
The pharmacy is one of two businesses to be listed today, so far, by health officials.
10am update
A fruit and vegetable store in Massey, West Auckland, has been identified as being linked to a Covid case or cases in the last week. The person or persons were at the Tasi Market, 1/2 Triangle Rd, at these times:
• Thursday, August 26, 7.30am to 6pm • Friday, August 27, 7.30am to 6pm • Saturday, August 28, 7.30am to 3pm
On its Facebook page today, store management informed customers of the situation and said work had been carried out to test staff and clean the store.
The Tasi Market fruit and vegetable store on Triangle Road in Massey, West Auckland. Photo / Michael Craig
"All staff are awaiting their test results and isolation for 14 days. The shop has been Covid deep-cleaned and sanitised."
Staff said they were working to open again in the next day or two and customers were reminded to have a mask when visiting the shop.
"Staff request [you] to stay home if you are not well, to wear masks at all times, to scan the QR code or record your name on the register.
"Our dedicated team are essential service workers who just want to be safe while working. Let's help one another by following the rules and keeping safe."
Customers replied to the message, with one asking whether health officials had given them any advice about delivery orders that had been carried out over that time.
"Hope all the staff are holding up okay," she wrote.
The Tasi Market in Massey, West Auckland, has a sign outside reminding customers to wear a mask. Photo / Michael Craig
The store recently rebranded from being the Massey Fruit and Vegetable shop and customers are advised it still says this on eftpos transactions.
It has also been offering delivery services to customers during lockdown.
9.30am update
There are now 444 events involving 342 unique locations of interest around the country - in Auckland, Wellington, Rotorua, Coromandel, Bulls and Waiouru. The majority of the locations remain in Auckland.
The Ministry of Health's website was updated at 8am, but no new locations were listed. Several locations previously reported have since been removed as they are no longer deemed to be of interest.
The latest businesses or buildings listed yesterday are: - Headquarters Bar on Customs St West in central Auckland, on Saturday, August 14 between 11.30pm and 1.30am Sunday, August 15. - Residence Mount Terrace Apartments, on Mount St in Auckland central, on Monday, August 16 between 6.50pm and 11.59pm. - Residence Mount Terrace Apartments on Thursday, August 19 between 12am and 5.30pm. - Residence Mount Terrace Apartments on Wednesday, August 18 between 12am and 11.59pm. - Strategic Dynamics class in the WH125 building at AUT Wellesley St East campus on Tuesday, August 17 between 2pm and 4.10pm. - Residence Mount Terrace Apartments on Tuesday, August 17 between 12am and 9.30am. - Residence Mount Terrace Apartments on Tuesday, August 17 between 4.50pm and 11.59pm.
At least one business is unhappy about being named on the list.
Popular downtown Auckland bar, Headquarters Viaduct, took aim at authorities after it was identified on the list yesterday.
"This was 15 days ago ... no staff or customers have had clinical signs or been infected with Covid," a post on its Facebook page read.
Referring to Ministry of Health officials, staff wrote: "The muppets rang us on the Tuesday the 24th and said they'd been trying to email us but they didn't have the nz on the end of the email address.
"I did advise them that this date was, even at that stage, two incubation cycles ago."
The bar is owned by outspoken businessman Leo Molloy.
He told the Herald earlier that 30 members of his staff had been working that night - the night of the second Bledisloe Cup test between the All Blacks and Wallabies at Eden Park.
People urged to record visits to locations of interest
Aucklanders are set to stay in alert level 4 lockdown for at least another two weeks. Photo / Alex Burton
Meanwhile, a new feature has appeared on the locations of Interest page - a yellow tab asking people to record their visit to a location of interest.
The completion of the form linked to it is voluntary, but it appears to be another way to help authorities track and trace members of the public who have been to a certain place, business, workplace or company that has been identified to be a location of interest.
The form lists the locations currently on the ministry's website and asks the reader to identify which place they had been to and to confirm they had visited during the certain time periods identified as when a Covid positive person has visited.
The reader is then asked to provide their name and date of birth, as well as their NHI number if they have it - although the latter is optional.
A person is also asked whether or not they are an essential worker.
