Mount Maunganui is humming with summer holidaymakers. Photo / George Novak
"The virus is not taking a holiday."
That's the warning from residents in summer holiday hotspot Mount Maunganui as Covid-19 locations of interest in Tauranga grow, forcing at least one social spot to close temporarily.
Shopping malls, gaming rooms, eateries, public toilets, supermarkets and an ice cream parlour in Tauranga
have been among recent places of interest.
Hospitalisations are also rising, with five people with Covid-19 in Tauranga Hospital as of yesterday - up one on the day before. There were also two new Tauranga community cases among 34 nationwide.
There were 106 active cases in the Bay of Plenty District Health Board area, plus 33 in the Lakes DHB area.
Mount Maunganui RSA on Maunganui Rd has been named a location of interest by the Ministry of Health for five dates over the past two weeks.
Most recently, yesterday afternoon, the venue's December 16 snooker event was listed as a 'close contact' - high risk - location. Anyone present between 11.45am and 5pm was advised to self-isolate and get tested immediately.
Further isolation and testing requirements would be provided by Public Health.
On Boxing Day, the RSA was listed as high-risk for four other dates: December 15, 20, 22 and 24, with the same advice to isolate and test.
Mount Maunganui RSA president Arthur King said he closed the club on Monday morning and it would remain closed until at least Thursday.
He, club managers and staff were all self-isolating.
"We all got tested yesterday [December 26] and we are now awaiting our test results, which will hopefully be back today or tomorrow."
King said while the exposure events were concerning, no one could get inside the club unless they were double-vaccinated.
He understood the Covid-linked person had limited contact with only one or two people.
King said over the five dates of interest there were 169 people in the club, including seven competing in a snooker tournament on December 16.
How many of 169 would have to self-isolate due to potential exposure was still unknown.
King said the person who tested positive for Covid and sparked the close-contact notification was a member of the snooker tournament.
How the man became infectious was still being investigated by the Ministry of Health contact tracers, he said.
If the test results were negative it was expected the club would reopen on Thursday.
He urged anyone who visited the club at the relevant times to also get tested and follow the Ministry's other health advice.
Mount Maunganui Residents, Ratepayers and Retail Association president Michael O'Neill said the growing number of places of interest in Tauranga was concerning.
O'Neill said potential exposures at venues such as the RSA, where lots of people congregate to socialise — as well as eat and drink, and could take face masks off to do so — were particularly concerning
He said it should be a "wake-up call" for everyone in Tauranga not to be complacent
and relax their guard against the risk of exposing themselves to the virus.
O'Neill said he visited Auckland a week before the border reopened, and noticed that
many Aucklanders were more stringent in following the protection rules, compared to more relaxed attitudes he had seen in Tauranga.
"I think lots of people are taking the 'I'm over Covid-19' view, but now is not the time for complacency and we shouldn't be so relaxed as the virus is not taking a holiday."
Tauranga Age Concern general manager Tanya Smith said more than ever it was vital that everyone followed the Ministry's health guidelines to the letter.
"I cannot stress enough how important that is, especially to help protect the more vulnerable members of our community, not only seniors but younger people as well.
"Everyone needs to ensure they wear a face mask, social distance, hand sanitise and use the contact tracing electronic devices or sign in by using the confidential boxes."
"It's up to the whole community to support one and another in strengthening our fight against Covid and to nip it in the bud - we cannot just leave it up to the Government."
Iconic downtown Mount Maunganui ice cream shop Copenhagen Cones in Adams Ave has also been listed as a location of interest recently for December 22 between 1.15 pm and 1.25pm. It was not flagged as high risk.
Manager Shannon Peters said it was not unexpected given the number of visitors to the store at this time of year.
Peters said once notified, she immediately advised all staff and asked them to let her know if they had any Covid symptoms and to get a test if symptoms developed.
"So far we've been able to carry on, but I'm extra vigilant about making sure that everyone wears a mask, keeps 1 metre apart, and also scans or signs in.
"If we all do the right thing to help protect ourselves, our businesses and the wider community it will certainly make life a lot easier and safer.
"It makes no difference what time of year it is, Covid doesn't know it's Christmas or New Year and we've got to protect ourselves every day."
Dr Phil Shoemack, Medical Officer of Health at Toi Te Ora Public Health, said it was vital that everyone understood that the risk of Covid-19 infection was "everywhere".
Extreme vigilance was needed to diminish the risk of exposure to the virus, he said
"Almost every community in the Bay of Plenty and Lakes has had one or more cases of Covid-19 in the past few weeks.
"It's in our community and we all need to take practical steps to reduce the risk of its further spread. This means we have to assume that anyone with whom we come into contact could be infectious with the virus."
"We should all wear a face mask in public, scan everywhere we go, regularly wash our hands, maintain physical distancing, and get tested and then stay home if we develop symptoms."
As of Boxing Day, the Bay of Plenty DHB, which includes the western and eastern Bay of Plenty areas, was just over 1 per cent away from hitting 90 per cent full vaccination in the eligible population of 216,941 people. Lakes DHB was at 86.9 per cent.
Mount Maunganui RSA:
December 15, 5.30pm-10.15pm
December 16, 11.45am-5pm (snooker event)
December 20, 11.15am-1.30pm
December 22, 11.30am-6pm
December 24, 1.48pm-4pm.
Recent high risk locations in Tauranga
Tenpin Tauranga Gaming Room Tauranga South: December 17, 12.45pm-2.45pm; Dec 23, 1.45pm-4pm
Maungatapu Sports Bar Gaming Room: December 17, 3.15pm-5.30pm; December 18, 4.45pm-7pm
Welcome Bay Sports Bar and Grill Gaming Room: December 18, 3.15pm-5.15pm
For all public locations of interest, see the Ministry of Health website.
A disregard for authority could be why those attending court are thumbing their noses.