Ngāruahine have been operating a pop-up testing clinic daily since news of the positive wastewater result broke. Photo / Ilona Hanne
Ngāruahine have been operating a pop-up testing clinic daily since news of the positive wastewater result broke. Photo / Ilona Hanne
People were queuing for up to two hours to get a Covid-19 test in Stratford on Friday, following the detection of the virus in Stratford's wastewater.
It had been confirmed late last Thursday night that an Institute of Environmental Science and Research wastewater sample taken in Stratford earlier in theweek had returned what was described as a "strong positive" result for viral fragments of the virus that causes Covid-19.
Stratford Mayor Neil Volzke said the news was concerning.
"This is really worrying for people in the Stratford community in particular, and right across the region. Until we find the source of this positive result the real concern is that we may have an individual or group of individuals unknowingly spreading the virus throughout the community. The longer this goes on, the more difficult it will be to contain the potential spread."
On Friday morning, Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer said she was "frustrated" the information had been slow to get out to the community, and was disappointed the Taranaki District Health Board didn't make the information public on Thursday night when they received it.
"I was also told last night [Thursday], and immediately started the work on mobilising our response to it, the sooner people know, the sooner they can get tested."
She spent Friday and Saturday in Stratford with other members of Ngāti Ruanui, running a testing and vaccination clinic and encouraging people to take the opportunity to get tested or vaccinated over the weekend. On Saturday, they took that message quite literally to the streets, driving through town in a van, using a microphone and speaker to inform the community they were doing Covid-19 vaccinations and tests in the area.
Ngāruahine have also been running a pop-up testing clinic in Stratford, working with TDHB and operating out of the War Memorial Carpark in the town. On Sunday, Ngāruahine Health Services general manager Warren Nicholls said he was pleased with the response from the community over the past few days.
"People have been coming to get tested, which is great. On Friday we have a lot of people who had symptoms, so it's fantastic they got tested, but we have also been testing people who have been asymptomatic and that is important too, as it helps give us the overall picture of what is happening in the community."
People had been patient with the longer wait times on Friday, he said.
"People have been really positive in their attitude, they came prepared to wait and were just happy they could get tested."
Ngāruahine have continued to run the pop-up clinics daily since Friday as they wait for the latest wastewater test results to come back.
As of 9am on Monday, November 8, 1123 tests had been completed across the region since Friday, and all 758 results returned so far have been negative. TDHB reports an increase in the number of people accessing their first vaccination dose in Taranaki over the past few days. In an emailed statement, TDHB's incident management team controller, Becky Jenkins, said testing rates had been particularly high in parts of Stratford.
"The highest testing rates are from Stratford East and Stratford West. Māori testing rates per head of population are higher than non-Māori for these areas. "It's been a really successful weekend of testing and I'd like to acknowledge and thank all the testing teams for their wonderful mahi, who have worked together to stand up mobile and pop-up clinics throughout the region."
Wastewater sampling continued over the weekend in Stratford, Hāwera, Opunake and Patea. With what are termed "grab samples" also expected to be collected from Kaponga, Manaia and Waverley this week. Results from samples collected over the weekend and on Monday are expected to be back on Wednesday this week.
The most important thing people can do, says Mayor Volkze, is get vaccinated and tested if they have symptoms.
"I urge people to follow the protocols with social distancing, wearing masks and hand sanitising, and of course get vaccinated. If people are feeling unwell, or showing any symptoms at all, they should go and get tested."
