Coronavirus Covid-19: Auckland at alert level 3 lockdown, NZ at level 2 for a week

LAST VIRUS
* Full rules for alert levels 2 and 3
* Why the government had to move the country back to restrictions
* What the latest lock and level changes mean for the sport
* Businesses eligible for government support package

Auckland residents have woken up in a locked city after Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced last night that the region would enter level 3 for a full week after a person with Covid-19 visited public places while showing symptoms.

The new case, a 21-year-old man, attended the Manukau Institute of Technology for three days and went to the gym twice, including once after taking a Covid test, when he should have been isolated at home.

Auckland went into lockdown at 6am Sunday and the rest of the country has moved to alert level 2 for seven days.

Major events have come to a halt: Sunday morning’s Round the Bays race in Auckland was called off, while the Black Caps and White Ferns T20 double cricket match, scheduled for Eden Park on Friday, moved to Wellington, where games will be played. no crowds. The race schedule for the America’s Cup, which was due to start in the Hauraki Gulf on Saturday, is under review.

Ardern, with Chief Health Officer Ashely Bloomfield, made the announcement of the level changes at a hastily organized press conference at 9 p.m. Saturday. It followed an urgent Cabinet meeting.

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Ardern said the government had no choice but to put Auckland back under lock and key after the new case was detected in the community.

Rather than follow health advice, the person had been in the community while contagious. This included attending the Manukau Institute of Technology for three days: February 22, 25 and 26.

The person is a family contact of a Papatoetoe High School student who had given three negative results and was asymptomatic.

Ardern said there is “no question” that a contributing factor to the lockdown was that the rules were not being followed.

The new community case should have been isolated, he said. But after going to the GP to get tested for Covid-19, he ignored health advice and went to the gym.

He had also been to various other places when he had symptoms.

“Of course it’s frustrating,” Ardern said.

And it left no room for interpretation when it comes to how clear officials made this in the new community case.

“I have seen the records of the multiple communications that were sent to members of the school community, advising them of what was required of students and household contacts.”

The person visited:
• City Fitness, Papatoetoe (February 20 and 26)
• Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT) (February 22, 25, 26)
• Hunter Plaza (February 26)
• Burger King Highland Park (February 25)
• Your health pharmacy (February 23)
• Pak n Save Manukau (February 21)

Anyone who has been to these places is advised to get tested.

Ardern sounded a warning to potential rule breakers. “We have the ability to take action to enforce the law.”

The action comes in the form of section 70 of the health order, which means that a health doctor can force people to isolate themselves.

But it was clear that Ardern was not in favor of this heavy-handed approach.

“I don’t want to create an environment where an individual who has made mistakes here is so ridiculed that no one wants to be tested.”

He urged everyone to “follow the rules on behalf of everyone.”

But national leader Judith Collins wants the government to throw the book at people who ignore the rules.

“We need to consider tougher penalties against those who do not follow public health advice on isolation and testing,” he said.

He added that all New Zealanders would be frustrated by the level of default of the person at the center of the new developments.

“Relying on people to do the right thing seems to have reached its limits and we may need tougher penalties to make sure everyone is following the rules.

“Nobody wants to go in and out of the confinement.”

Ardern said the Cabinet considered a number of factors when analyzing the new case and deciding whether another closure was necessary.

The exposure the new cases had to others was what worried Ardern the most.

“Because they have been infectious for a week and had not been isolated, there are several high-risk sites involved in this case.”

Given the time that has passed since the onset of his illness, Ardern said that close contacts may already be infected.

The blockade, Ardern said, would help prevent a large-scale spread.

It was the “unfortunate but necessary position of the Cabinet of having to protect the people of Auckland once again”.

As Auckland will be at level 3 for one week, any affected company can apply for the wage subsidy and business support scheme.

Any company in the country that receives at least a 30 percent impact as a result of the closure can claim these subsidies.

Finance Minister Grant Robertson said that roughly $ 400 million to $ 500 million had been budgeted for these schemes.

Ardern said the seven-day lockdown was needed, as it was the same amount of time the new case was infectious in the community.

He said that the Covid-19 strain must be assumed to be the most infectious variant.
“The main thing we ask of the people of Auckland is to stay home.”

This would reduce the risk of spreading the virus, he said.

When they can, people should work from home and children should stay home from school.

But, as was the case in previous closings, supermarkets and pharmacies will remain open during level 3.

“Please again, there is no need to rush to the supermarket.”

Ardern said that all sports or any other type of event should be canceled.

And the Auckland border will be re-established, preventing anyone without authorization from leaving the city.

Bloomfield last night also revealed that after testing the rest of the household contacts of the new community case, the mother of the case had tested positive for Covid-19.

Speaking to the media last night, Ardern said that some people may ask whether Auckland should have remained at level 3 and not come out of the lockdown.

But he said that was not the advice they gave the government.

It noted that 118,000 tests had been conducted since February 14, when the first case of the new cluster was revealed.

Auckland Mayor Phil Goff said he understood the Aucklanders’ frustration at having to return to level 3 lockdown.

“However, the consequences of letting the virus spread would be much more damaging and would put people’s lives at risk.

“Auckland residents are experts on this now. We know what to do to fight the virus and we will.”

Judith Collins in the running of the bulls

The new lockdown in Auckland and Level 2 for the rest of the country will be disappointing for everyone, said national leader Judith Collins.

“Nobody wants to go in and out of the confinement.

“National said the decision to exit Level 3 on February 17 was a bold and ambitious decision.

“At that time we still did not know the source of the original case, that day there were two new community cases of the most transmissible strain, and not all high school students had been tested.

“Now Auckland is locked in again with all the consequences it brings. We need to consider tougher penalties against those who do not follow public health advice on isolation and testing.”

“All New Zealanders will be frustrated by the level of non-compliance. Relying on people to do the right thing seems to have reached its limits and we may need tougher penalties to make sure everyone is following the rules.

Auckland Mayor’s Message to Auckland

“I understand the frustration of the residents of Aucklanders at having to return to the Level 3 lockdown, with the disruption it causes in everyone’s lives and the impact it has on businesses, many of which are already struggling,” said the Mayor from Auckland, Phil Goff.

“However, the consequences of letting the virus spread would be much more damaging and would put people’s lives at risk.

“Nobody wants to be locked up, but it is the most effective means of stopping a possible new outbreak, especially given the increased transmissibility of the new variant of the disease,” he said.

“We are in a much better place than almost any other country in the world because of our strong collective response so far, so we must continue that way.

“Auckland residents are experts on this now. We know what to do to fight the virus and we will.”

The focus of health officials remains KFC in the Auckland suburb of Botany. A family member of one of the Papatoetoe High School students who tested positive was told to stay home and isolate himself, but instead went to work at the fast food restaurant on Monday.

The Health Ministry said earlier on Saturday there were three categories of KFC-related contacts. Eleven people in the first category are close contacts, in addition to those who also worked there and are in isolation for 14 days.

Members of the public who entered the store at that time are close contacts who should be tested today, and the more casual contacts who went through the drive-thru should also be tested today. Both groups must isolate until they receive a negative result.

On Friday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she was, “like everyone else, frustrated” by the person who went to work at KFC.

“We want people to do the right thing because that’s what keeps everyone safe.”

Despite this, he cautions against a “massive stack [on]”from the person in question, as that could create an environment where people are too scared to get tested.

She asks that everyone who has come into contact with the new case “do the right thing” and isolate themselves.

And if they don’t, you’re sounding a warning: “There is a section 70 order.”

That order means that a health doctor can force people to isolate themselves.

“We have a legal basis for that … and then there are repercussions,” Ardern said.

Earlier on Saturday, before the community’s latest case was revealed, there was only one case of Covid-19 in managed isolation.