Covid 19 coronavirus Delta outbreak: Bay of Plenty real estate reps at location of interest

A daily wrap of all the main developments in the Covid-19 Delta outbreak as New Zealand is plunged into lockdown for the fifth time. Video / NZ Herald

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Members of the Bay of Plenty have been identified as close contacts to a Covid-19 case connected to the Delta-variant outbreak.

Realty Group managing director Simon Anderson told the Bay of Plenty Times staff attended the Bayleys Realty conference a week ago.

The event, held at Spark Arena on Friday, August 13, is a location of interest after a bar worker at the event later tested positive.

"There were 1000 people there in total and we had a good representation there — with partners as well. A number of our staff, including myself, were at the national awards," Anderson said.

"It's a time of uncertainty for our staff and that adds stress. We're taking care of ourselves and our families at this time.

"I'm really worried about our people ... uncertainty and mixed messages on social media are not good but I think we've got it pretty covered."

Simon Anderson, managing director of the Realty Group, which operates Eves and Bayleys. Photo / Andrew Warner

Anderson said other companies and members of the public had been very supportive of them as well, which had been uplifting.

In the Bay of Plenty, real estate companies Eves and Bayleys were operated by Realty Group.

Anderson said staff were notified last night and all were following Ministry of Health guidelines by self-isolating and only leaving home to get a test.

The event was held on Friday, August 13 in Spark Arena. Photo / Supplied

Anderson was tested this morning along with other Bayleys awards attendees. Some team members had been tested earlier in the week and already returned negative results, he said.

Bayleys spokesman Chris Gwin told the Herald a "decent chunk" of attendees were from Auckland but others were from other parts of the country, including the South Island.

Meanwhile, up to 1000 people at a Mitre 10 awards night held the night before the Bayleys conference were also close contacts.

Health officials say all close contacts and their household contacts must self-isolate and contact Healthline about when they might need to be tested for Covid-19.

As of 1pm yesterday, there were 31 total confirmed cases and more than 200 locations of interest across the country.

Close contacts are advised to get a Covid-19 test. Photo / George Novak

A 58-year-old Devonport man tested positive for Covid-19 earlier this week. He has the Delta strain of the virus, which is reportedly more severe and more easily spread than the original form of Covid-19.

A four-day extension to the lockdown was added yesterday.

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Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced on Friday the level-4 lockdown had been extended nationwide until 11.59pm on Tuesday, after confirmation the outbreak had spread to Wellington.

It comes as 11 cases, including three in Wellington, were announced on Friday, taking the total reported in the community since Tuesday to 31.

Empty streets in Tauranga during lockdown. Photo / George Novak

The three in Wellington had travelled to Auckland on Sunday - one by plane and the others by car - after visiting a location of interest there.

The remaining eight cases were in Auckland.

Nineteen cases are now confirmed as part of the Auckland outbreak, with the remaining 12 under investigation but likely linked to the outbreak.

Auckland faces an even longer lockdown until at least late August, with the director general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield confirming he wanted an extension.

Ardern would not directly answer questions on the matter, saying it was too soon to say what this outbreak would mean in the long term for Auckland.

Meanwhile, police have charged one person in the Bay of Plenty for flouting Covid-19 lockdown rules and is facing two charges.