This is what the area outside the popular Cameron St Mall in central Whangārei looks like under Alert Level 4.
Photo / Michael Cunningham
This is what the area outside the popular Cameron St Mall in central Whangārei looks like under Alert Level 4.
Photo / Michael Cunningham
Northland leaders have welcomed the region staying in lockdown for a bit longer, with one calling on better policing of borders to stop Aucklanders fleeing north when alert level drops.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern yesterday
announced Northland would remain in level 4 until Thursday, when the latest results of wastewater testing in the region are due, before Cabinet decided on any changes to the alert level.
If the tests are all clear, Northland will go to level three at 11:59pm on Thursday.
Auckland will remain in lockdown for the next two weeks.
The rest of the country south of Auckland will move to level 3 - as earlier planned - from 11.59pm tonight.
It will remain in place for a week and will be reviewed on September 6.
Northland District Health Board chairman Harry Burkhardt (Ngāti Kahu), who is also Te Kahu o Taonui (Northland Iwi chairs) chairman, welcomed the likely move to level 3 but wanted the region's southern border policed hard to stop Aucklanders fleeing north.
''There's not a lot of difference between level 3 and 4 but it will give everybody a sense of change from level 4 restrictions.''
The Northland/Auckland border at Te Hana where community leaders say the police checkpoint should be.
Photo / Michael Cunningham
He said the move to level 3 would be welcomed across Tai Tokerau, but it was important that if so Aucklanders were prevented from heading north, as had happened before previous alert level changes.
''If we do (move to level 3 on Thursday) I want them to make sure our southern border is closed tight. I want it to be policed well, and managed by police.''
When the country moved to level 4 two weeks ago, thousands of Aucklanders are believed to have fled the city for their holiday homes in Northland and the Coromandel.
Whangārei Mayor Sheryl Mai said she would have preferred Northland went to level 3 along with the rest of the country tomorrow night, but appreciates the caution.
''We don't want Covid in Northland and we all want to ensure everything is being done to stop it spreading here.''
Mai said while level 3 is essentially level 4 with takeaways, it would provide much-needed relief for many businesses.
''Many businesses are struggling and they want to get back trading.
''Any move down alert levels will be welcomed, but we've got to be sure it's safe to do so first.''
Whangārei mayor Sheryl Mai hopes everything will align and Northland can go down to level 3 this week.
Photo / Tania Whyte
Mai said it seemed that this latest lockdown was affecting people harder than last year's level 4 lockdown.
''There's definitely more concern and anxiety this time. We need to be aware of people's wellbeing, and relaxing the lockdown level will help that.''
Ngātiwai raukura (chief executive) Hūhana Lyndon said iwi take a Covid-cautious approach and welcomed the shift to level 3, if everything else worked out.
''We met with the Government last week and one thing we really pushed was widespread wastewater testing in Northland. For Ngātiwai, wastewater testing is the real litmus test of whether Covid is in our community so I'm pleased that is being done on such a scale now.''
Lyndon said the move to level 3 should only be confirmed if all the tests come back negative and all the other aspects lined up too. However, she said the move to level 3 should only be confirmed if the Government was totally sure the region was safe.
Ngātiwai's tribal district covers both Northland and Auckland.
Hūhana Lyndon said the move to level 3 should only be confirmed if the Government was totally sure Northland was safe.
Photo / Michael Cunningham
John Maurice, owner of Kaikohe's Bank Bar and Northland Hospitality NZ chairman, said he could not see why Northland was not moved to alert level 3 along with the rest of the country - apart from Auckland - from Tuesday night.
"There's light at the end of the tunnel. To my mind, there are cases in Wellington, cases in Coromandel and Northland is lumped together with Auckland ... it's ridiculous. If we go down to level 3, that's good for everyone.
"Anything to get businesses going by some means. Some can start through click and collect but a majority in the hospitality sector will have to wait until level 2," he said.
NorthChamber chief executive Stephen Smith said a few more days in level 4 was "manageable" for Northland businesses which needed cash flow to keep them going.
Kaipara mayor Jason Smith said a likely drop down to level 3 this week was a positive pathway.
"We're in a different territory than we were 18 months ago, and while the alert level change is not happening tomorrow, the important thing is businesses can see a pathway," he said.
A draft estimate by the Northland District Health Board for Covid tests shows 2.2 per cent of the total tests since Jan 1 have been recorded as someone who had an Auckland residential address.
She presented a graph which indicated what would have happened if we hadn't moved quickly into lockdown, with cases "literally off the charts", totalling 550 per day.
There were 53 cases, all in Auckland, yesterday. After highs of 82 and 83 in the preceding days, the drop is the strongest indication yet the lockdown in place since August 18 is having an impact.
