Northland's supermarkets saw queues last night and this morning, but many in the queues today were not wearing masks, as they are supposed to do when outside their bubbles. Photo / Michael Cunningham.
Northland's supermarkets saw queues last night and this morning, but many in the queues today were not wearing masks, as they are supposed to do when outside their bubbles. Photo / Michael Cunningham.
Northland police have reported few issues, so far, with the level 4 lockdown, as people flocked to supermarkets to load up on supplies, and thousands of Aucklanders fled North to beat the seven day lockdown there.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that Auckland and Coromandel will go into level 4 lockdown for seven days, and the rest of the country - including Northland - for three days, from 11.59pm Tuesday night.
The move came after a 58-year-old Devonport man on Auckland's North Shore tested positive yesterday after visiting a GP. He was infectious from August 12. The man, who isn't vaccinated, and his wife travelled to Coromandel over the weekend.
His wife is fully vaccinated. There is no obvious link to the border at this stage, but there have since been four more positive cases of the Delta variant, all linked to the first case.
Kensington Health Hub's vaccination centre, which has been doing Covid vaccinations, is closed, with the vaccination campaign paused for 48 hours. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Whangārei is largely today empty with the City Safe people patrolling, lots of police are driving around. Whangārei District Council Staff were busy closing off playgrounds, with plenty of people out for walks with many, again, not wearing a mask.
The Northland District Health Board advises getting tested if people were at one of the 15 locations of interest in Auckland or the Coromandel during critical times. Visits the Ministry of Health website to see the full list
If people display symptoms but have not been at any locations of interest, they are asked to stay home and call Healthline on 0800 358 5453.
Everyone who hasn't been at a place of interest and doesn't display symptoms is advised to stay at home and not get tested.
SOUTHERN BORDER: As many as 500 cars an hour were recorded heading north on State Highway One on Tuesday evening, according to the group behind the last lockdown's Covid checkpoints.
Rueben Taipari, coordinator of Te Tai Tokerau Border Control, said he drove down SH1 after the lockdown was announced.
''We knew there was going to be a s***load of cars out there, and sure enough. All those boats and clowns going to their holiday homes. We're pissed off.''
Taipari said SH1 was ''chocka'' at Pakaraka with traffic turning off at SH10 and heading up the east coast.
Towai, south of Kawakawa, was also busy, and a traffic count at the Ruakākā roundabout on SH1 showed 400-500 cars an hour were heading north.
The exodus slowed as the night wore on but after midnight it was still 100 an hour. It only stopped after 2am, Taipari said.
The group saw only two police vehicles all night.
With so little notice of the lockdown, and late confirmation that it was the Delta variant, it was not possible to set up checkpoints in time, he said.
''Without sharing information and working together it's a waste of time doing all this other stuff. A lockdown? They just told everybody they've got a holiday for seven days.'' Taipari called on people to abide by the level 4 rules, especially given Northland's vulnerable population.
''If we stop moving around, the virus won't spread. It's the Delta variant so it's very serious. Please, everybody, just stay home.''
The self-declared Te Tai Tokerau Border Control (TTBC) was set up last year by former MP Hone Harawira amid concerns about people heading to Northland holiday spots during the first lockdown.
Police later set up their own roadblocks and in some cases joined forces with TTBC to make those checkpoints legal.
Residents along State Highway 1 in Northland have slammed as ''selfish and appalling'' an exodus of people from Auckland potentially carrying the virus in the hours after the lockdown was announced.
Dean Whitehead, who can see as far as the Brynderwyns from his home in Bream Bay, said SH1 northbound was busy from about 8pm on Tuesday.
''When I went to bed around 10.40pm all I could see was a stream of lights snaking down the Brynderwyns,'' he said.
It was likely that many were Northlanders legitimately trying to get home before level four restrictions came into force, but others would have been heading to holiday homes.
''We've seen this before in earlier lockdowns, a sudden influx of people into Northland. It's appalling and selfish. The whole idea of a lockdown is to try to contain a virus — no one knows who's got it.''
Whitehead said to be effective lockdowns should be immediate and police roadblocks should turn back people who weren't genuinely going home.
POLICE:
Northland police reported no issues overnight and this morning as the region settled into lockdown.
It was a welcome start given the 234 Covid breaches Northland police took action against during last year's Alert Level 4.
Officers operated "reassurance patrols" at supermarkets around the region last night and this morning to help maintain calm at those locations.
Officers were called to Whangārei Pak n'Save shortly after 11am after a man allegedly refused to wear a mask in the store and would not leave when asked. The man was moved on by police without incident.
Police were also monitoring Northlanders returning home – allowed within the first 48-hours of the alert level change – and were in contact with the Tai Tokerau Border Control, who had not established border checkpoints.
All Northland's playgrounds, including this in Whangārei's Laurie Hall Park, are closed. Photo / Michael Cunningham.
SUPERMARKETS:
Northland's main supermarket chains are urging residents not to stockpile food to ensure everyone has a fair shot at buying their grocery essentials.
New World and Countdown supermarkets remind shoppers to wear a mask, scan the Covid tracer app, physical distance from others, and nominate one person in the household to shop.
Countdown spokesperson Kiri Hannifin said there is plenty of food and groceries to go around when people buy what they need.
However, while there are limits on some products in Auckland including toilet paper, flour, rice, dry pasta, UHT milk, frozen vegetables, baby formula and pet food, there are no limits in place in Northland.
"For our online shoppers, demand is heavy but our priority assistance service is back up and running for vulnerable New Zealanders and all deliveries nationwide will be contactless," Hannifin said.
In a statement, Foodstuffs, which owns New World, Four Square and Pak n'Save, asked customers to respect each other and be patient and considerate toward staff.
"Please only buy what you need and be fair to others. We have plenty of stock, and to ensure there is plenty of product to go around, product limitations will be put in place on a store or product basis if the individual store determines there is a need."
Foodstuffs also encouraged customers to use contactless payments such as payWave to reduce contact between customers and staff.
Northport, at Marsden Pt, will remain open as an essential service, but may reduce its services.
Northport is designated an essential service under law (Civil Defence Management Act 2002), a status that was reiterated in the MOT communication 'Essential Services at Level 4 : Transport', dated 23 March 2020. With this designation in mind it is required to remain open and to provide such port services as are determined essential by the government.
The deep water port at Marsden Pt is today reviewing currently proposed shipping requirements and putting plans in place to ensure the port can meet these demands.
Depending on the outcome of this planning it's likely that the port will be operating at reduced capacity with strict controls around person-to-person contact, social space, and health and hygiene requirements. It will maintain sufficient flexibility to respond to any shift in freight demands. Paramount in all its planning is the safety of Northport staff and everyone who works at the port.
The port will also continue to operate the Local Port Service, enabling the safe passage of tankers and dry-cargo vessels transiting Whangārei Harbour.
Visitors to Whangārei Hospital have been vastly reduced due to the Covid 19 lockdown. Photo / Michael Cunningham
