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Shock and confusion abound at 106 Vincent St, known as Vincent Residences, where residents have been told to isolate themselves and seek advice on getting tested.
Authorities revealed today that a case of community transmission had been found with an unknown source in Auckland, a student in her 20s, but most of the residents Control He spoke shortly after the announcement Thursday at 1pm had no idea they were supposed to isolate themselves.
The woman became symptomatic on Monday and was tested on Tuesday, but after calling sick, she went to work wearing a mask after speaking with her manager.
With no health officials on the scene Thursday afternoon, the media was left to deliver the news to residents going about their daily activities.
“This is fucking ridiculous,” said one resident upon hearing the news for the first time.
For most, the news was still creeping in.
“I’m a little scared, because [my partner] and I have four children that we see frequently and now we are not going to be able to do it, “said one resident.
The manager of the Vincent Residences building, Rajeev Chembath, was on site making calls to try to arrange a deep clean.
“I just got a call from the health department, that someone tested positive here,” he said.
“They are not releasing any information, so I asked them if I got the name or the apartment number, then I can check the CCTV to see if there are any close contacts or something.”
He said he learned of the Covid case link to the building just before the 1pm press conference.
He wouldn’t be attracted when asked if health officials should have been in contact earlier.
“I am so sorry. I have nothing more to say,” Chembath said.
The apartment building at 106 Vincent St is adjacent to the Grand Millennium Hotel, one of Auckland’s managed isolation facilities.
Another occupant of Vincent Residences joked that it might end up next door at the Grand Millennium.
He said he thought members of the public had been able to mingle with the overseas returnees who became isolated at the Grand Millennium when they were evacuated due to a fire alarm Monday night.
However, Air Commodore Digby Webb, which is in charge of the government-run quarantine and isolation facilities, said claims that people got mixed up when an MIQ hotel was evacuated by a fire alarm “were not accurate. “.
“Throughout the situation, NZDF staff, wearing high-visibility vests, assisted hotel security and MIQ staff in cordoning off all guests in assigned meeting areas,” he said.
“The guests were continuously monitored and contained. The staff made sure that the returnees had social distance, that they covered their faces and that the bubbles were maintained.”
“We are confident that the integrity of the managed isolation facility was not compromised and that claims that those in freely managed isolation ‘mixed and mingled’ with members of the public are not accurate.
Regardless, the evacuation of the fire alarm would not have been the source of transmission for the new case because they had already been symptomatic earlier in the day.
Control spoke to a Vincent Residences resident who said the common areas meant the virus could have easily spread in the 106 Vincent St apartment building connected to Auckland’s latest community case.
“The shared facilities that we have are a gym, a sauna and a swimming pool and they are used quite frequently,” he said.
“I see a lot of people in the pool every day, so I’m a bit worried to be honest.”
His next task is to contact relatives who have visited him since Saturday.
One resident believed they only needed to communicate with visitors who had passed by in the past 24 hours. Confusion also caught another resident he spoke to Control, who had just moved into Vincent Residences.
“You are definitely the first person we hear this from,” he said.
“We knew about this [isolation facility] behind us, which has all these people in it. We literally just moved in. “
Thursday’s news had been a shock.
“It’s typical. We’ve had a tough couple of weeks moving in and stuff,” he said.
“It would have been nice to even have a bulletin board or something. Are we allowed to know who, or is it just one person in the building?”
For other residents here, the news that they need to be tested and isolated has ruined their travel plans.
“I am heading to the United States at 9:30 pm tonight,” said one resident.
“I’m probably going to make some calls. I don’t know what the procedure is now that Covid is here.
“Is it legal to have to go get tested? I really don’t know too much.”
He was angry at the level of communication of the health personnel.
“I think someone should definitely be here now telling everyone, [and] entering the building, “he said.
Meanwhile, at the infected woman’s workplace, AZ Collections on High St, the lights were off and the door closed.
A pop-up test station was quickly set up just down the road, where some took the opportunity to get a swab.
