November 3 2021
There are 100 new cases of Covid-19 in the community today - 97 are in Auckland and three are in the Waikato. There are no new cases in Northland.
A West Auckland school has had to close after a student has tested positive for Covid-19.
Liston College confirmed a student has tested positive for Covid-19 and was infectious at school on Monday.
The school's Board of Trustees has closed the school till Monday November 8.
"A Liston College student has been confirmed as having Covid-19. The student was infectious when at our site on Monday 1 November," an email sent to parents read.
"In light of this the Board of Trustees have closed the College until Monday 8 November."
The school is encouraging students and parents to check for symptoms and get a test if any appear.
There are 100 new cases of Covid-19 in the community today - 97 in Auckland and three in the Waikato.
There are no new cases in Northland today. The first result for the two mystery Northland cases is expected back tonight. The other is expected back tomorrow.
There are 58 people in hospital, including three people in ICU. Not all of those in hospital, however, are there because Covid is their primary diagnosis. For instance, some are pregnant.
Victoria University of Wellington has announced it will be cancelling its November and December graduation ceremonies due to Covid-19 uncertainty.
The University's Chancellor, Neil Paviour-Smith said graduates will be able to join ceremonies in May 2022.
"Unfortunately though, under both the current alert level restrictions, or under the requirements of the new Covid-19 Protection Framework, including the need for vaccine certificates, it is clear that it is not feasible to proceed with the events as planned in November and December."
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern cancelled a scheduled 12.45pm press conference from Whanganui, where she was promoting the vaccinations rollout (see details below). The PM's standup was re-scheduled to a different time and venue.
Fifteen residents and four staff members of Edmonton Meadows Care Home in Henderson have now returned positive tests.
Three of the Covid-19 positive residents are receiving appropriate ward-level care at North Shore Hospital.
Of the Waikato cases, two are from Hamilton and one is from Ōtorohanga. Two are known contacts and were already in isolation and with daily public health contact and support.
There are no new cases in Christchurch again today, however there are still four active cases who are in quarantine. There remain 22 locations of interest in Canterbury – no new locations have been added in recent days.
Test results from additional wastewater samples collected in Christchurch are expected later today.
Do people in Canterbury still need to be worried? Bloomfield said there's been a epidemiological link and "there have been no other cases arise from those cases, so the feeling is they have been contained."
This contrasted with the country's biggest city: "One of the realities of Auckland is almost everywhere is a suburb of interest right now."
More Pfizer vaccines purchased
The Government, meanwhile, has signed a purchase agreement for an additional 4.7 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine.
They will be available throughout next year and be used for 5-11 years olds and a booster programme, among other things, Covid-19 Minister Chris Hipkins says.
They could also be used in the Pacific if needed.
There are currently 2.8 million doses in-country and the Government expects another 1.5 million before the end of the year.
"In the meantime, the best we can do to protect younger members ... is for everybody else who is eligible to get vaccinated."
In the UK, 12-15-year-olds are recommended to only have one vaccine dose. Bloomfield was asked why two doses were provided here. He said the trial that was done has two doses, so the UK would seem to be the outlier.
Hipkins said it could be up to 11 or 12 months before boosters are doled out in NZ.
"There will be a minimum period of time between the second dose and the first dose."
Severely immunocompromised people should go to primary care for third doses, Bloomfield said.
"There's a clear list on the ministry's website of the conditions that are specifically included in that group."
Will Māori health providers get more resources? Hipkins: Yes. "Obviously, there's still a limited number of people who can do this work, but we're working with them" to vaccinate as many people as possible.
For Pacific peoples, first doses have reached 86 per cent and 70 per cent for fully vaccinated.
Hipkins: "We are getting to the point where demand for first doses is really starting to tail off now."
"We're really leaning into those communities" where rates are lower, and are also setting up after-hours vaccination centres to help people who work odd hours.
"Yes, I am concerned about it and yes, we are doing everything we can - leaving no stone unturned," he said.
Border cases
Bloomfield says there are 10 new cases in managed isolation today.
The first person arrived from Serbia and Montenegro via United Arab Emirates on October 23. They tested positive on day 6 and are isolating in Auckland.
Three flew into New Zealand on October 27 via Singapore. One is a contact of a case in Auckland, two others were picked up via routine testing. All three are in facilities in Auckland.
Also on October 27, a traveller flew in from Scotland via Singapore and is in MIQ in Auckland.
Three travellers from the United Kingdom - who also flew via Singapore, are isolating in Wellington and one person flew direct from Japan arriving on October 31. They are isolating in Christchurch.
With regards people who have recovered from Covid around the country, in Auckland there are 1649 of a total 3553 cases, 45 of Waikato's 144 cases, three of Northland's 14 cases and all of Wellington's 17 cases. There is still one active case in Nelson/Marlborough and four in Canterbury.
Testing rates
Yesterday saw just over 28,000 tests - "this continues to be a high number", Bloomfield said.
In Northland, there was widespread community testing and vaccination yesterday, but no new cases.
As for vaccination rates of DHBs with active Covid cases, Northland DHB has 80 per cent of people who have had their first dose, and 65 per cent fully vaccinated.
"There are plenty of opportunities to be both tested and vaccinated", especially in Northland. "Please do take up those opportunities."
In Waikato, two of today's cases are in Hamilton and one in Otorohanga. Two are known to be connected to existing cases - the other remains under investigation.
In Christchurch, more wastewater samples are expected later today.
"The labs are under a lot of pressure. Labs are working to share samples across the country.
"We continue to look closely at how we can get those results back as quickly as we can."
Tests in the Far North will be processed locally in Northland when urgent. They'll be sent to Auckland when not a priority.
Isolating for positive cases
"We still have rooms available ... to accommodate positive cases," Hipkins said, but officials were moving more now toward isolating at home unless there's a reason not to.
Hipkins said cohorting and MIQ is becoming "progressively relaxed".
"We want to make the best use of the rooms that we've got."
Vaccination mandates, certificates and exemptions
For vaccine mandates and certificates, the Government is establishing a process for exemptions.
"There will be a similar, related process for people who need a vaccine certificate to go about their daily business."
"We will publicise it early next week."
People can apply online. "It will be a centralised process."
If you've received paperwork, "you will still need to apply through a centralised process. If you have paid for that paperwork, you might want to ask for a refund."
This will be "the only valid process" through which exemption paperwork can be obtained.
Hipkins says there have been reports of people "aggressively demanding exemptions from clinicians".
Hipkins and Bloomfield were asked if Auckland hits 90 per cent and no vax certificate system was in place, what would happen?
Hipkins said: "The stress testing of that system is happening now as we speak.
"We'll have the system ready to go before Auckland hits the 90 per cent mark."
People need to create their MyHealth record now, so they can simply switch on the certificate when it's ready. That's the most time-consuming part, he said.
The My Covid Record website tells you when you had your two vaccines.
Once vaccine certificates are operating, QR code scanning is still important, Hipkins said.
Hipkins said officials were not enforcing a hard border in the north of Northland: "It's more similar to the Waikato arrangement.
"The main message at alert level 3 ... is people should be staying home. We want people to be minimising their activities as much as possible ... while we try to identify the sources of these two particular cases."
Tonga case
The Tonga case has been reclassified as historic.
Tonga officials were right in taking a very conservative approach, Bloomfield said.
"Using our criteria here, we would classify it as a historical case."
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern cancelled a 12.45pm press conference from Whanganui, where she is promoting the vaccinations rollout.
A group of about 250 protesters gathered outside the vaccination centre Ardern was planning to visit, blocking the entrance, and the stand-up was subsequently canned.
The PM's press conference was then rescheduled to be held elsewhere.
Protesters then started gathering outside Whanganui District Council, where the Prime Minister was speaking to media.
There is a large police presence at the council building, blocking the entrance from protesters.
Ardern said she wasn't surprised by the level of hostility towards her and she wasn't taking it personally.
She said the country was in the stage of the vaccine rollout where the Government was trying to reach communities that did hold strong views.
Cancelling the planned visit to the Whanganui vaccination clinic this morning after anti-vaccination protesters gathered was "pragmatic".
She said she was in the area to encourage people to get vaccinated and it became counterproductive if people behaved in a way that stopped people's access.
"A decision was made that it wasn't practical if the idea was to get people vaccinated, to have an environment where people were blocked from doing so."
When asked about yesterday's protest in Northland, she said she wouldn't define it as a formal protest - just one in the press crew and one on the ground.
There were no plans to stop visiting these communities and she would "continue on".
She said the purpose of the visits was to speak with providers on the ground to thank them and find out what they could to do support their work, as well as gaining an understanding about what helped those people now getting vaccinated change their minds.
The Prime Minister has now also abandoned a planned visit to a Hunterville vaccination clinic because of protest activity.
A spokesman said she has reorganised her afternoon to meet privately with locals involved in the vaccination effort instead.
"The PM does not want to do anything that gets in the way of those people choosing to get vaccinated from doing so," a spokesman said.
Whanganui has the third-lowest vaccination rate of the DHBs – 81 per cent of its eligible population has had one dose and 61 per cent has had two doses. It follows the PM's visit to Northland yesterday just before the Far North district of Northland was put into lockdown.
Ardern is in Whanganui to warn lower-vaccinated regions that the Government will not be able to contain Delta in Auckland indefinitely, so they should get vaccinated before it spreads more widely.
Whanganui MP Steph Lewis and Te Tai Hauauru MP Adrian Rurawhe earlier this afternoon turned up at the clinic, but swiftly left as the original group of protesters grew. Whanganui-based National List MP Harete Hipango also showed up, but left after about 10 minutes.
The protesters confronted media, accusing journalists of being paid off by the Government.
There was a significant police presence at the original protest, which grew after protesters began moving onto the road.
Hipkins was asked at the 1pm update about Ardern's press conference being relocated.
"Her presence combined with the presence of anti-vax protesters was actually preventing people from coming forward and getting vaccinated."
Is momentum gaining within the anti-vax movement, he was asked.
"There's a very small group" that is active around the country, he said.
About 250 protesters have gathered in Whanganui, where the Prime Minister is visiting. Photo / Bevan Conley
Yesterday, Ardern was around Kawakawa in Northland, well south of the lockdown area. Anti-vaxxers shouted through her media conference, forcing her to abandon it and move indoors to continue it.
A Covid testing centre in Ōtara today. Photo / Alex Burton
The inability to find a possible link with other cases in the outbreak prompted yesterday's decision to put the far north of Northland into a six-day level 3 lockdown yesterday.
In a last-minute press conference at 5.30pm yesterday, Bloomfield said the two people concerned had kept good records but no likely link had been found with other cases, and the lockdown would allow some time to try to find that link and check for any undetected transmission.
The Government is still pursuing an elimination strategy outside of Auckland, while it waits for vaccination rates to lift. Hipkins has said that if Northland's vaccination rate was higher, it might not have required the level 3 lockdown, but there was a lot of misinformation circulating in Northland.
