There are 61 new Covid-19 cases in New Zealand. That makes a total of 708 confirmed and probable cases with 14 people in hospital.
NOW PLAYING • Focus Live: Coronavirus - 61 new cases, 14 are in hospital, 82 have recovered, 702 in total
There are 61 new Covid-19 cases in New Zealand. That makes a total of 708 confirmed and probable cases with 14 people in hospital. ...
Two people have been arrested after a brawl in Hamilton involving a knife, bats and a shovel.
A senior Waikato police officer has called for calm and for people to report any suspicious activity to them instead of taking action themselves.
Senior Sergeant Andrew O'Reilly has also reminded businesses and the self-employed about the country's lockdown after a Waikato tattoo artist reportedly reopened for business.
"Multiple people left the property and there were no other people inside. Everyone complied with police instructions."
However, one person was reportedly showing symptoms for Covid-19. "Police entered the property with full protective gear, gloves and masks to allow the house to be cleared and investigated safely."
"Don't take matters into your own hands, use the right guidelines to report things." He said police were still investigating exactly what happened and what the people who went to the house were doing - allegations have been made about drug dealing or confiscation of drugs - but either way, he urged people to call police.
"There appears to be some feuding going on and they've attacked a drug house. Two people from that house have been locked up for possession of synthetics for supply.
"What we want people to do is report it to police. Don't take matters into your own hands."
He called for people to "calm down, calm your farm".
Police were recently called to a Hamilton address after reports of fighting with a knife, shovel, hockey stick and a...
"Have some compassion for your neighbours and be considerate."
As for how people had been behaving so far in the Waikato, O'Reilly said people still weren't abiding by the lockdown; either from ignorance or genuine disbelief.
"A lot of people still don't get what the lockdown actually means. Lockdown means you are in your bubble and that's it. You can't go visiting someone else's bubble because they're a family member. Some people just don't get it.
"There's 1 per cent of the population that don't care and we will deal with them appropriately.
"There's 5 per cent that actually don't understand and don't get it and they just need education and that's where we come in. We're still doing quite a lot of that."
"Someone dobbed them in ... that's an example of a business that has opened. We've [visited] a couple, we have had to talk to people about it.
"If you're not an essential business, your'e not supposed to be open, you're supposed to be in your bubble and locked down. Some people just don't get it."
Business owners could not only face police investigation but an instant fine from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment of about $5000.
As for cases of domestic violence, he said the Waikato was following the national average of being lower than normal.
"With the extra staff that we've got we're able to get to them a lot faster ... we're getting staff there and sorting it out on the spot and we're really happy with that."
He said it was going to be a long four weeks but it was better it be a hard four weeks, than possibly longer due to increased numbers of community infection.
"Yes, it's going to be a month of hardship, but better a month of hardship now than an extended period of major issues with people dying left, right and centre."
