Kristin Macfarlane: Auckland's Covid 19 coronavirus lockdown benefits NZ as a whole

Using the NZ Covid Tracer app and QR code, for contact tracing during the Covid-19 pandemic. Photo / File

COMMENT:

There are now more than 100 cases of community Covid-19 transmission relating to the Auckland cluster.

This second wave has resulted in the nation's largest cluster - and it's a controlled one.

This speaks volumes in the importance of social distancing and is also evidence that the move to Covid-19 alert level 3 for those living in Auckland on August 12 was by far the right one to make.

It may be easy to say from someone outside New Zealand's biggest city, still existing under level 2 restrictions, but you only have to think about the places you visited over the weekend to understand how the outbreak could have very easily been a lot worse without those level 3 restrictions.

If Auckland wasn't restricted when it was you can guarantee that with all of those sports games, kids' and adults' sport training sessions, school days, church congregations, social gatherings, shopping and more would have come with a whole lot more Covid-19 cases.

And I have no doubt those cases would not be contained to Auckland if restrictions weren't brought in when they were. It is highly likely this dangerous virus would be strewn around the regions and throughout New Zealand and the reality we would be seeing is it growing legs at alarming rates ... eventually pushing the whole country back into lockdown once again.

I feel for people living in Auckland and the struggles they will be facing under level 3, but no one wants to see our little island nation be shut down all over again - our mental, physical, emotional and economic health as a people and as a country would not cope.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern extended Auckland's level 3 status by four days, announcing the status quo would remain for Auckland and the rest of New Zealand until Sunday.

Level 2 will be phased in and Cabinet will review that on Sunday, September 6.

This timeframe will be crucial to what happens next.

While we can't control Covid-19, we can control how we choose to deal with it - and choosing to do all the preventative measures we can to help beat this deadly virus is a much better option for everyone than choosing to ignore the restrictions.

Let's use common sense and make safe choices - our country relies on it.