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14 new community cases, all of Clover Park asked to be tested

Author
NZ Herald,
Publish Date
Tue, 21 Sep 2021, 12:34PM

14 new community cases, all of Clover Park asked to be tested

Author
NZ Herald,
Publish Date
Tue, 21 Sep 2021, 12:34PM

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Dr Ashley Bloomfield shared the latest case numbers in Auckland's Delta outbreak.

  • There are 14 new community cases, all considered part of the Auckland region 
  • 4 of yesterday’s 5 unlinked cases have been linked 
  • Bloomfield said although today’s lower number was encouraging, they do expect numbers to bounce around a bit and expect 50-60 more cases from close contacts who are in isolation 
  • Bloomfield urged community members at Whakatiwai to get tested and to also get a vaccination. 
  • Contact tracers are interviewing students at the Mangatangi School in a bid to find any unknown transmissions in the community 
  • Bloomfield said the Section 70 notice covering the north Waikato area near the new cases would allow some people to cross the level 4 boundaries to shop for groceries or get pet supplies. This would allow them to travel to Pokeno to get essential supplies or further to Middlemore Hospital if they need healthcare. But only to these destinations. 
  • Bloomfield said personal travel restrictions would remain very tight for Auckland residents under level 3. 
  • There would be eased restrictions for people going to funerals, but it will require an exemption from the Ministry of Health. 
  • These would only be offered in limited numbers and would only be given to immediate families. 
  • People getting these exemptions would also require a pre-departure Covid test. 
  • Bloomfield also noted very positive results from Pfizer's vaccine trials among children. While the results were early, it was still promising news, he said. The children were given vaccines about three weeks apart and it generated similar antibodies among them as it did among adults. 
  • Investigations into any rule breaking during the transportation of the prisoner would be ongoing in the background, she said. The bail conditions of the prisoner required that only necessary stops be undertaken. Jacinda Ardern said she couldn't define yet whether those stops were necessary or not. 
  • Ardern said there was a new testing centre at the Manukau Sports Bowl.  
  • She also said based on a set of cases in Clover Park they are asking everyone in Clover Park to get tested. 
  • Out of the seven other suburbs of interest, people are also asked to come forward if they have symptoms or mild symptoms for testing. 
  • Ardern said much of New Zealand's success against Covid has been the good compliance by most people. 
  • She said a small number of people had been breaking the rules, including people who escaped from MIQ facilities. 
  • However, once people started getting fined for doing this, it reduced the number of people who tried to break out of MIQ facilities, she said. 
  • Current fines for Covid infringements will move from $300 to $4000 for individuals and up to 12,000 for businesses. 
  • If a court imposes the fines on individuals, the fines will move from $1000 to $12,000 and up to $15,000 for businesses. 
  • 79% of eligible Aucklanders have been vaccinated. Ardern asks those returning to work who have not been vaccinated to do so today. 

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