Chris Hipkins says the family weren't regular users of the Covid tracer app but fortunately authorities had been able to build a picture of their movements. Photo / Michael Craig
Chris Hipkins says the family weren't regular users of the Covid tracer app but fortunately authorities had been able to build a picture of their movements. Photo / Michael Craig
The Auckland family at the centre of the latest Covid-19 community outbreak weren't regular users of the Covid tracer app.
However, authorities had been able to pull together a list of locations visited by the trio over the past week which included not only around South Auckland but various stop-offs as two members of the family visited New Plymouth over Waitangi Weekend.
The woman works in the laundry at LSG Sky Chefs in Māngere while her husband is a tradesman. Their daughter is in Year 9 at Papatoetoe High School which is closed today and tomorrow.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern yesterday upped alert levels for Auckland, to level 3, and the rest of the country to level 2, and today it was confirmed the strain was the highly transmissible UK strain.
Two members of the family went to Pak'nSave Manukau on Friday, February 12 and they also visited various locations in New Plymouth on Waitangi Weekend.
Senior Pasifika Medical Association (PMA) member Dr Collin Tukuitonga has urged the Pacific community to keep using the NZ Covid Tracer app.
He cited the recent Northland case as how effective it can be in helping keep track of people's movements and how authorities were able to notify people who visited the 32 locations she had been to over nine days.
Dr Ashley Bloomfield yesterday confirmed the family were not regular users of the tracer app.
Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins today said it was fortunate that contact tracers had been able to pull together a list of the 21 locations they'd visited.
Papatoetoe High School is the largest affected location with 1400 students.
Dr Bloomfield urged people to remember to use the tracer app and if feeling unwell to get a test.
"Please keep up with using the NZ Covid tracer app, turn on Bluetooth and scan wherever you go".
Infectious disease expert Dr Siouxsie Wiles yesterday said cases were a good reminder for people to use the app.
"I guess this is an opportunity to be thinking 'am I using the Covid tracer app?', 'have I been going to these places?', 'do I have any symptoms that I just thought I wasn't going to get tested but now I will get tested'.
"It's an opportunity for all of us to think what our behaviour has been like over the past few days."
Meanwhile, Hipkins also told Te Ao Tapatahi today that the mother's workplace, LSG Sky Chefs, had done "everything right" and were regularly testing employees not required to be tested out of "an abundance of precaution".
"The fact that she has been regularly tested is a good sign. She is not a frontline worker so she doesn't go onto the plane, doesn't go air-side, doesn't interact with passengers.
"So one of the questions here is 'Could she have picked it up from the laundry? Could she have been in contact with someone else who picked it up from the plane and interacted with her?"
Papatoetoe High School principal Vaughan Couillault said the infected student is a Year 9 student who was only at school for one day last week, on Wednesday.
The 21 locations of interest are BP Papakura, McDonalds Drury, Gas Piopio, Te Rewarewa Bridge, Sumela Kebab, Amber Court Motel, Pukekura Park, Egmont National Park, Cycle Inn New Plymouth, Puke Ariki Library and Museum, Pizza Hut New Plymouth, Back Beach, BP Breakwater Road, McDonalds Otorohanga, Pak'nSave Manukau, Chemist Warehouse Westfield Manukau, Bunnings Warehouse Manukau, Bunnings Warehouse Takanini, Bunnings Warehouse Botany, Ranfurly Skinny Superette.
