Category : News

South Auckland is disappointed by the latest Covid-19 cases, but a local councillor says it’s pointless pointing fingers and moaning.

On Saturday evening, it was announced that a 21-year-old sibling 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 their sibling having tested negative for the virus three times.

Hunters Plaza is one of the locations of interest in the latest community case of Covid-19 in Auckland.
Hunters Plaza is one of the locations of interest in the latest community case of Covid-19 in Auckland.

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

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Ministry of Health director-general Dr Ashley Bloomfield announced the lockdown on Saturday evening.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Ministry of Health director-general Dr Ashley Bloomfield announced the lockdown on Saturday evening.

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

The 21-year-old visited a number of different locations while infectious, including going to the gym while awaiting Covid test results.
 


Manukau ward councillor Alf Filipaina said there has been a mood change among the way the south Auckland community was responding to the latest cases.

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

But Filipaina said people were airing their views and getting on with looking after their families.

Manukau ward councillor Alf Filipaina said south Auckland was focused on making sure its elderly members were supported during lockdown.
Manukau ward councillor Alf Filipaina said south Auckland was focused on making sure its elderly members were supported during lockdown.

There has been many calls made to Auckland Council to see what was being done to support people – especially elderly.

Filipaina said it was “pointless moaning and pointing fingers” at people – it was positive news that the latest cases had been linked to the current cluster.

But he didn’t understand why the person had not been in isolation given the rules had been clearly laid out.

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

Fellow Manukau ward councillor Efeso Collins agreed families were expressing frustrations.

Manukau ward councillor Efeso Collins said there had been initial frustration regarding the latest Covid-19 cases in south Auckland.
Manukau ward councillor Efeso Collins said there had been initial frustration regarding the latest Covid-19 cases in south Auckland.

When the news came out on Saturday night, Collins said the initial calls and texts he received showed annoyance, unlike previous Covid-19 outbreaks where people were worried and anxious.

Collins put this change down to people thinking Case M had acted irresponsibly by not self-isolating as was expected after a Covid-19 test.

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

Collins said he had been annoyed himself as his daughter was meant to be going on camp this week. But plans like that could be rescheduled, he said.

Filipaina said he had been asking questions about when south Auckland would be vaccinated – and believed it should be soon after frontline workers and their families.

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

On Sunday, National Party leader Judith Collins told TVNZ that for a number of reasons, south Auckland should be moved up the queue – ahead of elderly people in other parts of the country.

In Sunday's press conference, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said South Auckland would be prioritised when the vaccination roll-out began in the general population mid-year, due to the higher risk factors.

 
Motorists travelling north to Auckland faced lengthy delays to reach the Covid-19 checkpoint on the Waikato Expressway after the city was placed into level 3 restrictions.

Seventy-five per cent of frontline workers coming forward for vaccinations were coming from the Counties Manukau DHB area which in a roundabout way, was “significantly reducing” the risk to the community, she said.

Efeso Collins agreed – saying south Auckland should be a priority group, after frontline workers, given it was where outbreaks were happening.

“Not withstanding that, I think Auckland should be a priority city because we haven't had this level of exposure in any other part of New Zealand. It’s always Auckland that is going to level 3.”

Papatoetoe High School principal Vaughan Couillault.
Papatoetoe High School principal Vaughan Couillault.

Papatoetoe High School principal, Vaughan Couillault, whose school has been at the centre of the outbreak, said feedback he had had directly was also of frustration with Case M not following the rules.

Couillault said this was understandable, and he was acutely aware that people were sharing the same feelings as Ardern.

If Auckland had not gone into alert level 3, Papatoetoe High School would have been able to reopen as normal on Monday, he said.

Now, it would only be taking students of essential workers as other schools were.

Couillault said he had issued a notice to the entire school community just to remind everyone what the rules at level 3 are and what is required by people.

Article: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/124387817/covid19-community-says-lets-move-on-from-pointing-fingers-at-latest-case
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