Long lines of cars have joined the testing centre queue at Founders Theatre in Hamilton. (Photo / Christine Cornege)

Surge of cars, long queues at Covid testing centres in Waikato

Author: Dubby Henry, NZ Herald,
Publish Date: Mon, 4 Oct 2021, 1:27PM

Long queues are snaking out of testing centres in the Waikato today after parts of the region woke up in level 3 lockdown this morning.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced in a hastily arranged press conference on Sunday that Hamilton City, Huntly, Te Kauwhata, Ngāruawāhia and Raglan would be in level 3 from midnight after positive cases were found in Raglan and Hamilton.

The five-day initial lockdown is to help health authorities work out if there is undetected community transmission.

The two cases - in Raglan and Hamilton East - are linked to each other and the Raglan case's household contacts have now also tested positive. But a link to the Auckland outbreak has not yet been found.

Sunday's announcement saw a run on testing stations that overwhelmed capacity, with people being turned away from the Founders Theatre and Claudelands Events Centre by mid-afternoon.

Capacity at Claudelands has been doubled today, and the centre is open for 12 hours until 8pm.

This morning, long queues of cars could also be seen outside the Founders' Theatre in Hamilton as people wait to get tested.

Full details of testing centres are available on the Waikato DHB website.

It's hoped the Waikato cases will also see a run on vaccinations in the area. Waikato DHB lead for vaccination and testing Maree Munro told RNZ people in the area had been "a little bit slow to step up and be vaccinated".

Ardern said yesterday that a 90 per cent vaccination rate would have seen the region stay out of lockdown. Currently, 71 per cent of Waikato's eligible population has had one dose, while 42 per cent are fully vaccinated - compared with the national average of 78 per cent and 46 per cent.

Hamilton testing centres had to turn people away yesterday afternoon but Hamiltonians are back in force this morning, queueing up to get nasal swabs from their cars. Photo / Christine Cornege

Testing and vaccination centres also swung into action in the small coastal town of Raglan on Sunday, and they're continuing this morning.

Local councillor Lisa Thomson spoke to the Herald while directing traffic at the vaccination centre which has been set up at Raglan Area School.

She had counted 86 people who had come to be vaccinated yesterday and the carpark was filling up again this morning.

"We've had family groups, couples, individuals ... It's fantastic to see people coming down."

A Pasifika health team had come from Hamilton on Sunday and had been "working tirelessly" to get vaccinations done. Today, health workers from Raukura Hauora o Tainui were administering jabs, focusing on Māori and Pasifika communities. The testing centre had also been "well received".

And despite reports yesterday of a stream of out-of-towners arriving for the school holidays, Thomson had not seen a big influx of people. Those coming through the vaccination centre were all locals.

Asked about reports that Raglan's vaccination rates are very low, Thomson said it wasn't her job to convince people to be vaccinated.

"It's really to keep people safe and get people to feel OK about coming to be vaccinated. That's our role."

Raglan ward councillor Lisa Thomson is directing cars at the town's vaccination centre today. Photo / Waikato District Council

"I would like to think that the science would encourage them to do that. We're seeing all over the world, undoubtedly, the evidence of what we should be doing." She called for the community to be supportive of each other and follow the rules - and to call her if they needed help or a ride to get to a centre.

Janet Gibb is councillor for the Ngāruawāhia and Taupiri wards, which are in level 3. BP Taupiri and McDonald's are both places of interest.

"There's lots of reactions we are seeing from people wanting to know what they are and aren't allowed to do. There's a little bit of frustration because they wanted all the information immediately - of course, the Government is working hard to pull it all together. It will settle down in the next 24 hours."

Both communities had got on board with previous lockdowns, being respectful and following the rules.

"And because we're a smaller environment than a city, people are pretty caring and know their neighbours," she said. "We're in a good place but there's the odd person who perhaps is too scared or doesn't know how to reach out - often, not always elderly or living alone."

The Taupiri community board was working closely with Taupiri Marae and will meet them by Zoom tonight to discuss what support was needed - such as food or medicine, or just more information.

The area had a large Māori population so it made sense to be "singing from the same songsheet", she said.

Hamilton boundaries extended overnight

There's been confusion around what parts of the Waikato are in level 3 after the borders of Hamilton were extended overnight. Ardern initially said the boundary would be around Hamilton city but the line has now been moved south and east to areas like Tamahere, Eureka and Gordonton, and west to the Waikato west coast.

A map showing the updated boundary lines is available on the United Against Covid-19 website.

Local MP Jamie Strange posted to Facebook that workers who lived in level 2 areas such as Cambridge could travel into level 3 for permitted work, but must head straight home after work.

But people could not go from level 3 to work in level 2 unless they were essential workers.
There's also no special requirement for people in level 2 who have visited a level 3 area in recent days.

A statement from the Beehive said testing was not required to cross borders, unlike at the borders of Auckland - but people should be ready to prove their reasons for travel, such as with a letter from their employer. There will be spot checks around the borders as it is considered impractical to have police staff on every road leading out of the level 3 area.

Hamilton Airport remains open and flights are continuing as normal as it is outside the level 3 boundaries. Anyone who is in a level 2 area can still fly - but they should not be travelling through a level 3 area to get there, according to a statement on social media from the airport.

Waikato Hospital has limited how many people can come to the facilities to "protect our patients, staff and community".

A restricted visitor policy is in place, and non-urgent outpatient appointments, community services and surgeries are being postponed. Where possible appointments will be run virtually.