As the hunt to find the source of a community outbreak of the Covid Omicron variant continues, authorities say there could be "tens of thousands" of community daily cases in a few weeks. Video / NZ Herald
The manager who hosted an Omicron-linked wedding in Auckland last weekend is pleading for people to support the families involved.
It was revealed on Sunday that a family of nine people with the Omicron variant attended a wedding in Auckland on January 15, a funeral and visits to the Sky Tower and an amusement park before leaving for Motueka.
As a result, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern moved New Zealand into the red traffic light setting as of midnight - due to the risk of undetected transmission.
Two people outside the family have since tested positive - an Air New Zealand staffer who was on a flight with the family, and a South Auckland rest-home worker who is connected to the family.
The wedding was hosted at the Totara Event Centre in New Lynn on the Saturday afternoon.
She was contacted on Sunday morning by public health officials who informed her of the exposure, and she was now isolating while waiting for a test result.
Having more than 100 days in lockdown and restricted by red in 2021, the manager said the link to Covid-19 and Monday's move back to the setting was frustrating.
"It is a nightmare.
"We're not even in the position where we can say the business is afloat."
Recalling days of expenses with no income, she said it was obvious how painful Covid had been for hospitality.
"I think the Government can see for themselves how many businesses close their doors every day.
"We don't need to say anything to the Government, it's black and white, everybody can see it for themselves."
A family of nine people with the Omicron variant attended a wedding in Auckland on January 15. Photo / 123rf
Even though New Zealand wasn't re-entering lockdown, she believed a change in settings did make people more cautious.
"It takes a few weeks for people to understand and get back into thinking, 'Yes, we are safe'."
She encouraged people to not only support families hit by Covid but also businesses.
"It's no one's fault, no one did it deliberately but at the same time, please support businesses, we'll do everything [to open]."
It comes as Hospitality NZ chief executive Julie White pushed back claims from infectious diseases expert Siouxsie Wiles that hospitality venues pose a risk of viral transmission.
Wiles told the Herald earlier today she would stay away from bars and restaurants as people were often unmasked which could encourage transmission.
However, White believed the risk was low as businesses complied with the Government's red settings, such as a 100-person limit for vaccinated customers.
"Because all our workforce is vaccinated, and all the guests who come into the venues are vaccinated. We also have control measures such as 'seated and separated'."
