Covid-19 coronavirus: TA and other parts of the country in lockdown for three days

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced on Tuesday night that the country would go into lockdown following the discovery of a Delta case in the community. Photo / Hagen Hopkins

There are seven confirmed community cases of Covid-19, including a fully vaccinated nurse at Auckland Hospital - all have the Delta variant and all are linked to the Devonport case that led to New Zealand entering a snap lockdown on Tuesday night.

Genome sequencing has confirmed NZ's Covid-19 outbreak is the Delta strain of the virus, and that it came from NSW, Australia.

Two new major locations of interest have been identified - Auckland Central Church of Christ, visited on Sunday, August 15, and the SkyCity Casino, visited in the evening on Saturday, August 14 and possibly into Sunday morning.

"If you were in either of those locations, look out," says Dr Ashley Bloomfield.

These locations of interest are added to others identified throughout Auckland and the Coromandel.

Queues at Countdown in Te Awamutu during the March lockdown. Photo / Caitlan Johnston.

Following the lockdown announcement, Te Awamutu residents did not wait to get to the supermarket or to get their last fix of takeaways.

The roads around the main town were busier than usual for a Tuesday night.

By 9pm, people had cleaned out all the bread and toilet paper at Countdown.

"We'd remind everyone that there is plenty of food and groceries to go around when people buy what they need," says Countdown general manager of corporate affairs, safety and sustainability Kiri Hannifin.

Alert level 4 requires all non-essential businesses to close and masks must be worn by anyone aged 12 and over when visiting essential services.

Waipā District Council's Cambridge and Te Awamutu offices, as well as halls, playgrounds and other community facilities across the district will be shut during the lockdown.

Parks and reserves areas will remain open to the public, but residents must practise 2m physical distancing measures when using these spaces.

Council will continue to offer essential services to residents, and phone and internet services.

"We've done this before and we can do it again. We recognise this might be a fairly stressful time for many and we need to remain calm," says Waipā District Council chief executive Garry Dyet.

Some parks and reserves in the Waipā area will be open during the lockdown, but playgrounds will be closed. Photo / Dean Taylor.

If you have flu-like symptoms and are concerned about your risk of Covid-19, the Waikato District Health Board's advice is to ring Healthline (0800 3585453) first for further instructions.

Covid tests can be done at the Te Awamutu Medical Centre and Mahoe Medical Centre, as well as Ōtorohanga Medical Centre.

Pop-up Covid testing stations are also located at Claudelands Event Centre and the Founders Theatre carpark in Hamilton.

On TVNZ on Tuesday morning, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she was confident New Zealand could beat Covid again by using the same tools as before, and as long as everyone adhered to the rules.

She says the Government's hope was a high number of people being vaccinated, along with other public health measures such as contact tracing, would reduce the number of lockdowns going forward.

"My very simple message: please stay at home," Jacinda appealed.

"Stick to your bubble, stay home."

"Stay safe everyone."

Jacinda says the Devonport man was, broadly speaking, a "tradesperson" and - as well as 15 locations of interest already announced - seven other locations he has visited are private homes.

Long queues are forming at Covid testing stations across the country, particularly in Auckland. Photo / Adam Pearse.

An email, signed by Dr Mike Shepherd, interim director of provider services, sent to Auckland District Health Board staff, says it's concerned about a "hospital outbreak"; health officials are making immediate moves to reduce this risk.

"We will be carrying out a detailed contact trace over the next day, but in the meantime if you have been in Ward 65 in the last five days please contact Occupational Health and get a Covid test."

Another restaurant has named itself as a location of interest this morning. The Pepper Tree Restaurant & Bar, in Coromandel, says it has been told by health authorities to close immediately.

The premises are next to the Star and Garter Hotel, which was last night named a location of interest.

"Along with several other businesses in Coro, we have been advised to shut immediately until we are advised what to do next."