Covid-19: community says ‘let’s move on’ to finger pointing in the latter case

South Auckland is disappointed by the latest Covid-19 cases, but a local councilor says it is useless to point fingers and complain.

On Saturday night, it was announced that a 21-year-old brother of a Papatoetoe High School student had tested positive for Covid-19. The 21-year-old’s mother also tested positive for the virus.

This was despite her brother testing negative for the virus three times.

Auckland was put on alert level 3 lockdown from Sunday at 6am, while the rest of the country was put on alert level 2.

READ MORE:
* Covid-19: fleeing Aucklanders risk spreading virus through New Zealand, expert says
* Covid-19: Auckland is blocked again as New Zealand marks a coronavirus year
* Covid-19: all locations of interest linked to the new Auckland community case
* Covid-19: Auckland Community Leaders Urge Calm, Kindness, About New Community Cases

At the time the alert level changes were announced, there was no direct link to the current Auckland group. However, it has since been confirmed that the 21-year-old, known as Case M, is genomically linked to another family in the Auckland group.

The 21-year-old visited several different places while he was infected, including hitting the gym while waiting for the Covid test results.

Manukau Ward Councilor Alf Filipaina said there has been a change of mood in the way the South Auckland community was responding to the latest cases.

“It has changed to the extent that this could have been prevented. And that’s where the change has come. They should have been in self-isolation. “

But Filipaina said that people expressed their views and dedicated themselves to caring for their families.

Many calls have been made to the Auckland Council to see what is being done to help people, especially the elderly.

Filipaina said it was “complaining and pointing fingers” at people: it was positive news that the latest cases had been linked to the current group.

But he did not understand why the person had not been isolated, since the rules were clearly established.

“That’s why our community has expressed disappointment, but again, they have chosen to air it out and have said ‘okay, let’s move on.’

Manukau Ward Counselor Ephesus Collins agreed that families were expressing frustrations.

When the news broke Saturday night, Collins said the initial calls and text messages he received showed annoyance, unlike previous Covid-19 outbreaks in which people were worried and anxious.

Collins attributed this change to people who thought Case M had acted irresponsibly by failing to isolate himself as expected after a Covid-19 test.

But once people had a chance to reflect and pause, there was a sense of calm, he said.

Collins said he was upset himself that his daughter had to go to camp this week. But plans like that could be rescheduled, he said.

Filipaina said she had been asking questions about when South Auckland would be vaccinated, and believed it should be shortly after frontline workers and their families.

He said it was important to close cases in his community and protect its vulnerable members.

On Sunday, National Party leader Judith Collins said TVNZ that for a number of reasons, southern Auckland should come in line, ahead of older people in other parts of the country.

At Sunday’s press conference, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said South Auckland would be a priority when the vaccination rollout to the general population begins mid-year, due to higher risk factors.

Seventy-five percent of frontline workers reporting for vaccinations came from the DHB area of ​​Manukau counties, indirectly “significantly reducing” the risk to the community, he said.

Ephesus Collins agreed, saying that South Auckland should be a priority group, after frontline workers, given that this is where the outbreaks were occurring.

“Despite that, I think Auckland should be a priority city because we haven’t had this level of exposure anywhere else in New Zealand. It’s always Auckland that goes to level 3. “

Papatoetoe High School principal Vaughan Couillault, whose school has been at the center of the outbreak, said the comments he had received directly were also frustrating that the M case did not follow the rules.

Couillault said this was understandable and he was well aware that people shared the same feelings as Ardern.

Had Auckland not entered alert level 3, Papatoetoe High School could have reopened normally on Monday, he said.

Now, it would only take students from essential workers like other schools did.

Couillault said he had sent out a notice to the entire school community just to remind everyone what the Level 3 rules are and what the people are demanding.