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People urged to acknowledge the burden South Auckland is carrying

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Tue, 2 Mar 2021, 6:43PM
The Jetpark quarantine hotel in South Auckland. (Photo / NZ Herald)
The Jetpark quarantine hotel in South Auckland. (Photo / NZ Herald)

People urged to acknowledge the burden South Auckland is carrying

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Tue, 2 Mar 2021, 6:43PM

There are calls to end the 'finger pointing' at the South Auckland community.

The Papatoetoe High community has been under the spotlight the past month, after the initial community cases announced on February 14th spreading to other families, with isolation breaches between two mothers leading to the risk of the infection spreading.

It has led to the community being the target of online abuse. 

Counties Manukau DHB board chair Mark Gosche told Heather du Plessis-Allan that he understands why people are angry, but people need to acknowledge that South Aucklanders are at the forefront of covid exposure.

"Most of the people who work at the isolation facilities, at the [Jetpark] quarantine hotel in Mangere, at the ports in Auckland - those are South Aucklanders." 

He says no other community has had to carry the same burden. 

"We are all very reliant on the people who live there to get us through this." 

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister will not be apologising about expressing frustration over a Covid-19 infected person continuing to work at KFC.

Case L, a Papatoetoe High School student's sister, wasn't self isolating - and went to work at KFC Botany three days before she tested positive.

She says she wasn't told to isolate - with only her sister getting a text saying she needed a test and to isolate.

Jacinda Ardern says emails were sent from the school, and 15 texts and phone calls made to the family.

Gosche says that she is just expressing what a lot of the country feels, but the team of 5 million should avoid putting the boot in.

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