A bakery, two petrol stations and other businesses outside Auckland have been linked to a person with Covid-19 - the first time businesses outside the city have been linked to the current outbreak in weeks.
The Uppercrust Bakery at 504 Maunganui Rd, in Mt Maunganui, was visited by a person with the virus as late as three days ago on Tuesday.
They were there for almost two hours between 9.55am and 11.50am.
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The same bakery is linked to a Covid case last weekend on Saturday, September 11. The person was there for about two hours between 10.10am and 12.05pm that day.
On that same Saturday, a positive case was at the BP petrol station in Tauriko at 1 Taurikura Drive, Tauranga. The affected time period is between 7.45am and 9.15am.
Anyone who was at the bakery or petrol station during those times is told to monitor their health for 14 days from the date of exposure and to get a Covid test.
"Test immediately and five and 12 days after you were exposed," the Ministry of Health's website says.
Members of the public are also urged to record their visit on the ministry's website or to call Healthline on 0800 611 116 so contact-tracers can get in touch.
At noon, more locations of interest outside of Auckland were released by health officials, including the Z Hautapu petrol station at 167 Victoria Rd RD1, Cambridge.
Other business are:
• Maramarua General Store: 2286 SH2 RD1, Maramarua.
• Ngatea Lotto & Foodmart: 16 Orchard West Rd, Ngatea.
• Tuck Shop: 18 Albert St, Cambridge.
• GAS Paeroa petrol station: 25 Puke Rd, Paeroa.
A visit to the Tuck Shop eatery, in Cambridge, is now the latest a person with Covid-19 has been out in the community - two days ago on Wednesday.
The positive case was there for just over an hour between 8.50am and 10am.
The Z Hautapu petrol station is linked to a Covid-positive case who was there on Friday, September 10. They were there for two minutes - from 9.40am to 9.42am.
A person with the virus visited the Maramarua General Store on Saturday, September 11, from 1.25pm to 2.40pm.
Ngatea Lotto & Foodmart had a person with Covid come to their shop on Thursday, September 9, between 12.10pm and 2.20pm.
Someone with the virus was at the GAS Paeroa petrol station on the same day between 11.20am and 11.28am.
Cambridge mayor Jim Mylchreest called for locals to be vigilant after news that two new locations are in their town.
"We just need to exercise commonsense and ensure anyone who was at those locations of interest at those reported times get tested and self-isolates."
Mylchreest said the news highlighted why it was so important that people continue to sign in via the Covid tracer app wherever they go.
"Whether you have symptoms or not, get a test. Do the right thing for the community."
Testing stations are now being set up at medical centres in Cambridge and Te Awamutu, as well as the Waikato District Health Board testing station at Founders Theatre in Hamilton.
A post on Uppercrust Bakery's Facebook page confirmed they had been linked to a Covid case twice in the last week.
"What this means for you if you visited and QR coded, you will be contacted. On a positive note, you have all been really good in wearing your masks and we have been handing masks to non-compliant people."
Staff said they hoped to re-open in two weeks on Thursday, September 30.
Customers were quick to offer their support and aroha to the bakery's management and staff.
One woman wrote: "Take care guys and we will see you when you are back up and running."
The new locations of interest outside of Auckland come after health officials yesterday revealed that a supermarket truck driver who had crossed the Auckland boundary to deliver goods has tested positive for the virus.
Director general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said early information was that the driver had been through Hamilton, Cambridge and Tauranga.
As a result, a number of locations linked to their travels are to be expected and were being thoroughly investigated.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said yesterday pick-ups and drop-offs would all be noted and there was no suggestion the driver had done anything they should not have.
The driver tested positive after being found to be a household contact of a current case.
At 10am, the health ministry released three new exposure events associated with one shop - the Dawson Road Foodmarket in Clover Park, South Auckland.
• Dawson Road Foodmarket: 112C Dawson Rd, Clover Park.
• Thursday, September 9: 8.30am to 10.30am.
• Friday, September 10: 8.30am to 10.30am.
• Tuesday, September 14: 8.30am to 10.30am.
The shop is now one of several businesses on Dawson Rd to be affected by Covid-19.
Another location on the edge of the city is the Z Bombay petrol station, at 1998 Great South Rd RD1, Bombay.
A person with the virus was there in the early hours of Saturday, September 11, between 5.35am and 6.35am.
The Ministry of Health released the new locations this morning, as well as a new visit by a Covid positive person to the SuperValue Flatbush supermarket at 8/130 Dawson Rd, Clover Park, in South Auckland.
The supermarket is already connected to several Covid cases, as well as a number of other shops and mini markets on the same road.
In this latest visit, a person with Covid-19 visited the supermarket on Tuesday (September 14). They were there for just over an hour between 4.50pm and 6pm.
The ministry revealed a number of other locations of interest yesterday - some of which showed people with Covid had been out shopping or in the community on Monday and Tuesday this week.
There were three exposure events reported on Monday (September 13).
A person who has tested positive for Covid was at the Z petrol station at 136 Dawson Rd, Clover Park, between 7.45am and 8am.
A Covid case has also been linked to the Manuroa Superette at 1/15 Princess St, in Takanini - the first time that suburb has been featured on the list in a long time.
The person was at the dairy between 1.41pm and 2.45pm on Monday.
The third exposure event recorded on Monday is a visit by a person with the virus to Mascot Dairy, on 51 Mascot Ave, in Māngere. They were there from 12.30pm to 12.45pm.
Authorities continue to urge members of the public to regularly check the locations of interest page, on the Ministry of Health's website, to ensure they are not affected.
That advice is especially important for essential workers, health officials say.
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