Covid 19 coronavirus: how the government will introduce the mandatory mask rule by Thursday

The masks will be mandatory for everyone traveling on domestic flights and for Auckland residents using public transport from Thursday.

Until then, New Zealanders are urged to act as if face coverings are already mandatory despite the mystery that has emerged about the source of the latest Covid-19 community case.

After just over 24 hours, Auckland’s CBD was pulled out of its near lockdown yesterday after genomic testing showed the AUT student was infected by the Defense Force military quarantine group. The transmission chain is still under investigation.

The genomes of Case A, the military man who contracted the virus at the Jetpark quarantine facility, and Case D, the AUT student, were identical, which is consistent with direct transmission between the two.

That doesn’t preclude the possibility that someone else is on the chain, but officials are confident that the timeframe suggests there was not a long chain of transmission involving many people.

Yesterday there were no other positive Covid-19 cases in the community despite over 7,200 tests being processed, including more than 100 from the woman’s Vincent Residences apartment building.

As a precaution, everyone who visited one of the sights will be asked to take a test regardless of whether they have symptoms.

But how the AUT student got infected remains a missing piece of the puzzle.

The woman works just 82 meters from a cafe the defense worker visited, but extensive interviews have not uncovered an obvious connection.

Among the avenues being investigated is a public toilet, but initial reports suggest that this is not the missing link.

Despite confidence that the group is well contained and widespread transmission highly unlikely, Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins will move next week to make masks mandatory on airplanes and in public transport in Auckland.

The public health order is being drafted and will be presented to Cabinet on Monday with the support of the Prime Minister.

Once agreed and published, it will take 48 hours to go into effect, which means it could be in effect as of Thursday morning.

Wearing masks will initially be mandatory on all domestic flights and public transport in Auckland, but other areas that have MIQ facilities or international airports will likely be included in the order later.

The order is similar to the one issued in August that requires the use of masks under alert level 2; children and people with medical conditions will be exempt.

It is understood that the Government will encourage a light approach to enforcement with a focus on educating violators prior to issuing the instant $ 300 fine.

Hipkins was questioned yesterday about why the government had a near crisis to listen to the advice of expert epidemiologists who have long been calling for mass masking.

He replied that the tips were continually reviewed.

Infectious disease expert Professor Michael Baker welcomed the move, but said he was surprised it took so long to do it.

“We are probably one of the last countries in the world to adopt mass masking, so it is a bit out of step with the other aspects of our response that would have otherwise been misleading.”

Baker also wants a broader review of alert levels that have not been adjusted since March and would like to see an alert level 1.5 with mass masking that would raise awareness but still society would function.

“The current system is really too crude.”

Hipkins announced yesterday that it was considering requiring some events and venues to make it mandatory for customers to sign up on entry. These are likely to be large gatherings and places of hospitality where physical distancing is not possible.

Meanwhile, he has urged businesses to ensure that QR codes are visible and has encouraged his customers to scan them and asked New Zealanders to be vigilant when scanning QR codes in the Covid Tracer app.

“It greatly helps speed up contact tracing and helps us stay ahead of the virus.”

Data from the Health Ministry showed that less than one in six of the 2.3 million users of the app use it on a daily basis.

And it was revealed that there was another breakdown in communication between the minister and health workers on the ground.

Hipkins said he expected public health protection officers to be at Vincent Residences, where the AUT student lives, on Thursday night, but it became apparent yesterday morning that that had not happened.

Numerous media outlets reported that people were seen leaving the apartment block despite being asked to stay.

Hipkins said the risk to the apartments was “relatively low” and no one had tested positive yet, but that “it would have been nice” if security had been there “from the start.”

“As soon as I realized that, I got on the phone and made sure it happened.”

New Zealanders are also being asked to put themselves in the shoes of the four people at the center of this outbreak who “understandably feel the weight of the entire country on their shoulders.”

“Being in the eye of the storm” could impact your ability to remember your movements and interactions, which could hamper the speed of contact tracing, he said.

“The problem is the virus and not the people. They don’t deserve to be blamed. They need our support.”

He also thanked border workers, who are some of the most scrutinized and tested people in the country.

“While they may not feel it all the time, we are truly grateful for the sacrifices they are making, for their professionalism and for their compassion.”

Locations of interest

• Mezze Bar on November 5.
• Liquor.Com Bottle Store, Queen St, November 5.
• Red Pig Restaurant on November 7th.
• Smith and Caughey’s Queen Street on November 7th.
• Sunny Town China Taste Restaurant on November 8 and 9.
• Starbucks Queen Street on November 8 and 9.
• The Gateau House on November 8th.
• AZ Collection on November 8, 9 and 11.
• The Vincent, from November 7 to 12.
• Auckland City Doctors on November 10th.
• AUT Student Hub on November 10th.