A swab is taken at a Covid-19 testing centre in Mount Maunganui. Photo / NZME
A swab is taken at a Covid-19 testing centre in Mount Maunganui. Photo / NZME
There are four new cases of Covid-19 in the Bay of Plenty today.
One is in Whakatāne and three are in the Tauranga area.
That brings total active cases in the Bay of Plenty District Health Board area to 48, with 26 in the Lakes District Health Board area, one of which is in intensive care in Rotorua Hospital.
The Whakatāne case and one of the Tauranga cases are linked to previously reported cases. The remaining two Tauranga area cases are household contacts, with their links to previously reported cases still being investigated.
Investigations are continuing into all cases and locations of interest, if and when they're identified, they will be added to the Ministry of Health's website.
Public health staff reiterated the message to Bay of Plenty locals to get tested if you're feeling unwell and get your first and second dose of the vaccine if you haven't already.
New locations of interest:
The new cases come as new locations of interest are revealed this weekend, including Kmart and Farmers stores, a mall, a restaurant and three fuel stations.
The new potential Covid-19 exposure sites include Kmart Bethlehem on November 20, Papamoa Plaza on November 22 and Farmers Bayfair that same day.
Tauranga and Western Bay •Farmers Bayfair on November 22 from 4.27pm to 6pm •Papamoa Plaza on November 22 from 5.18pm to 6.40pm •Kmart Bethlehem on November 20 from 10.45am to 11.20am •Mount Maunganui Toy Library Incorporated on November 20 from 10.05am to 11.20am •BP Bethlehem on November 20 from 10.14am to 12.15pm •Papamoa Sports and Recreation Centre on November 23 and 24 from 2.45pm to 6.30pm and from 2.45pm to 5.30pm. •Gull Te Puke on November 26 from 8.30am to 9.30am. • Warehouse Fraser Cove, Tauranga, on November 19 from 10.15am to 12pm. • Paengaroa Liquor Store on November 19 from 6.30pm to 7.40pm.
Rotorua and Taupō •Gull Lake Road Koutu, Rotorua, on November 20 from 7.00am to 8.20am •Lake Taupo Holiday Resort on November 22 from 10am to 2.30pm. • Dixie Browns Taupō on November 22 from 8.30am to 11am. • McDonalds Te Ngae on November 19 from 7am to 8.20am. • Gold Star Bakery Patrick's Pies Mangakakahi on November 18, from 6.03am to 7.28am
The ministry said anyone who was at one of these locations should self-isolate and test immediately then again on day 5 after they were exposed at this location of interest. Further isolation and testing requirements will be provided by Public Health.
Four new cases in the Bay of Plenty were announced on Saturday. All four have been linked to previously confirmed cases.
One case is based in Kawerau - the district's first - one is in Tauranga and two are in Te Puke.
A testing site was set up at Kawerau's Ron Hardie Recreation Centre carpark throughout the weekend.
Kawerau mayor Malcolm Campbell said it had since been busy with many people having tests and also getting vaccinations.
"So if anything, a bit of a scare has shaken people up a little to come forward. They want to get vaccinated. It's pretty positive really," he said.
Campbell said Covid's arrival was "inevitable" and while it was disappointing it was also "probably a good thing in the long term".
"Because a lot of people have seen this is actually happening here and said 'let's get vaccinated'."
Bay of Plenty DHB is opening a pop-up testing site at Waitaha Hauora/Nga Kakano Family Health Services at the Sikh Temple in Te Puke.
Kmart Bethlehem. Photo / NZME
The Bay of Plenty DHB has also been working with local providers in Kawerau to provide more testing capacity for the town. Additional testing is available today until 6pm at the Te Puna Ora o Mataatua, Ron Hardie Recreation Centre carpark in Kawerau.
Two of the three other cases are also close contacts of previously confirmed cases and have been in isolation.
Public health staff reiterated the message to Bay of Plenty locals to get tested if they are feeling unwell and get the first dose of the vaccine if they haven't already.
Details of testing stations and vaccination sites in Bay of Plenty can be found on the Healthpoint website.
