Coronavirus Covid-19: Anti-blockade protesters gather in front of the prime minister’s office in Auckland

Dozens of people have spent a cold and rainy day in Auckland breaching the latest Covid-19 restrictions in front of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s Mt Albert electorate office.

The group, which appeared to be protesting a variety of issues, from the latest restrictions to vaccination efforts and “being silenced” in media reports, was there for several hours despite Ardern spending the day in Wellington.

The protests came as Auckland entered the first day of Alert Level 3 restrictions, and the remainder of New Zealand Alert Level 2, after three cases of the highly communicable British variant of Covid-19 were found in a South Auckland family.

No new community cases were announced on Monday, although Ardern and Chief Health Officer Dr. Ashley Bloomfield warned that the coming days would be “crucial” with massive test results yet to come, particularly from Papatoetoe High School. where one of the cases was a student.

The British variant the family had was “highly transmissible and a fast-moving chain” that required quick action, Ardern said. It had not yet been linked to a known case in managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) facilities.

Due to this high risk to public health and a broader outbreak, Ardern announced on Sunday that Auckland would be at alert level 3 until midnight Wednesday, during which time people in addition to non-essential workers were asked , to stay home, wear masks, and practice. social distancing if in public.

Meetings of more than 10 people are not allowed in the region.

Such lockdowns are endorsed by many of the nation’s leading public health scientists as crucial to overcoming the spread of the highly contagious virus, and economists as well because of the consequences of longer and more restrictive lockdowns should the virus spiral out of control.

Despite this, up to 50 people gathered today outside Ardern’s electorate office in Auckland.

A Herald staff member said they were clearly Covid-19 protesters, ranging in age from 40 to 60, and representing a variety of different ethnicities.

They were hostile towards the staff member after they identified themselves as working for a media organization and were unwilling to give their names or make many comments.

The protesters, none of whom were wearing respiratory masks, were holding up a series of signs that featured a rainbow swastika, and others were preaching misinformation about Covid-19 and the upcoming vaccination program.

A loudspeaker was also used, although at one point the neighbors tried to drown it out by playing death metal music.

While this nullified some of the speeches, the protesters did not seem to mind the musical choice.

The police monitored the protest, although it appeared to be taking a “hands-off approach”.

Researchers and scientists around the world have warned of the dangers posed by spreading misinformation about Covid-19 since a pandemic was declared early last year.

Ardern’s office declined to comment on today’s protests, which also occurred when he announced that the first batch of 60,000 doses or 30,000 cycles of the Pfizer vaccine arrived in the country.

During his press conference, Ardern was asked about how people who were against vaccines could hinder efforts to eradicate the virus.

Bloomfield and Ardern said they were both willing to get vaccinated early to overcome doubts about vaccinations, but that they had to decide whether to move up the queue if it encouraged others.

Ardern said he thought Bloomfield would be a good example of someone who would help instill confidence in the community about vaccines.

A police spokeswoman told the Herald that officers attended and spoke with those involved, reminding them of the alert level 3 restrictions.

“We continue to monitor the situation,” he said.

“The police recognize the legitimate right of the public to protest, however, they also recognize the importance of preventing the spread of Covid-19 in the community and ensuring that people adhere to alert level restrictions.”