Covid 19 coronavirus: Auckland gym boss hoped for more help handling positive case

By RNZ

A gym manager awaited further instructions from health officials about a man who attended a training camp while infected with Covid-19.

The Snap Fitness gym in Auckland’s Browns Bay suburb has been closed for cleaning after a positive case was there on Saturday.

Approximately 10 people who attended the outdoor class taught by the gym are considered close contacts of the port worker who later tested positive for Covid-19.

Health officials said there are no changes to alert levels, but the training camp that took place on Saturday was linked to what they call the group of marine employees.

The gym’s general manager, Brendan Hurrell, said he was informed of the possible positive case on Wednesday and confirmed the next day.

Approximately 10 people who were in the outdoor boot camp are considered close contacts of the man.

After camp, the man also used the gym and those inside are considered casual contacts, Hurrell said.

He told the RNZ Midday Report that it had been a busy couple of days.

“There was a bit of concern just in terms of the information being difficult to obtain. Obviously, I had never dealt with that before and was hoping to get more direction,” Hurrell said.

“However, the women I was dealing with were amazing and you could see they were running as well and I felt like they probably had a lot on their hands right now.”

They decided to close as a precaution in part because the gym has so many older members.

He said the gym had been deep cleaned twice and was going to mist disinfect it today.

They are awaiting word from officials about the tracing and are considering reopening tomorrow, Hurrell said.

Browns Bay Business Association President Malcolm McDonald said news of a positive case nearby has shaken local businesses ahead of a long weekend.

His ice cream shop and cafe were doing a constant exchange today with some kids out of school for teacher-only days, and he said local businesses needed a summer boost, not a Covid scare.

“We have so many empty stores in Browns Bay right now and some are on the brink, so it’s worrying for all of us that we have to fill our stores, not empty them, so this is close to home,” McDonald said. .

“We are thinking of putting the masks back on, we took them off this week. We relaxed and started enjoying level one, but we may be wearing masks again this weekend.”

Browns Bay businesses are showing off the contact tracing app, but few masks are worn on Main Street today.

Another local, Susanne Brown, said she continues with the same precautions, using hand sanitizer and contact tracing.

“We all have to be more careful and I’m not surprised that it has spread. This is now to find out how fast it spreads and how far.”

Her children attend Rangitoto College, and she was one of the parents who warned that a student who has a family member sick with Covid-19 was briefly in school.

The student tested negative and health officials said there was a very low risk to the community.

“The school is quite positive and so are the boys. They know that this is now part of life.”

Heading into a long weekend, officials are urging people to use the app so they can be easily contacted if necessary. Health Minister Chris Hipkins said this message will be repeated in a Labor campaign over the weekend.

“We have to be vigilant, we have to keep using the Covid tracking app. We have made it mandatory for companies to prominently display QR codes to make it as easy as possible for people to use them.”

To the west of the North Shore, The Malt pub in Greenhithe remains closed after an infected person unknowingly visited it last Friday for about two and a half hours.

Health Director-General Ashley Bloomfield said few pub goers registered using the government app on Friday night. All the bar workers have tested negative, but it is unclear how many customers were there.

The bar’s owner, Kevin McVicar, said some of the staff considered themselves close contacts and others informal.

Before the long weekend, health officials are asking people to stay home if they are not feeling well and get tested; there will be seven community testing centers in Auckland.

The Auckland Regional Public Health Service (ARPHS) said the bootcamp group was physically estranged from others on the beach last weekend and that anyone on the beach at that time is considered to be no more at risk than anyone else. person in the Auckland community at large.

A spokesperson said the 10 who attended the training camp were asked to take the test and isolate themselves for 14 days.

– RNZ