I imagine 45 new cases today will have come as a bit of a shock to some. It shouldn’t.   

It’s been clear for weeks that we’re not getting back to zero in Auckland. 

The clue has always been in the mystery cases popping out of nowhere and we got another 12 today. 

That’s a big number. 

The clue has also been in the types of people getting infected lately: gang members and people in transitional housing. 

We’ve got three gangs infected: the Mongrel Mob, the Black Power and the Hell’s Angels. 

And we’ve got more than one transitional housing unit affected as well. 

These are not people who generally follow the rules. 

And they are people overrepresented in drug abuse.  

So, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that covid will probably keep spreading in those communities. 

What’s more, clearly not everyone in hotspots is trying to help. 

Clover Park is one of the South Auckland suburbs of concern.  

Health staff knocked on 100 doors asking residents to get tested.  

Only 9 agreed.  

Half of those who said no had already been tested, which leaves around 45 houses who just refused. 

What you should be realizing today is that it matters how long you and I sit in lockdown, this will keep spreading in marginalized communities and in largely one part of the city.  

Which means, it is now well overdue now for the government to come up with a better plan than locking down the entire city of Auckland and leaving all of NZ in level 2. 

While most of us are not anywhere near this covid. 

Why is Wellsford locked down? It’s 110k’s away from the covid hotspots.  

Why is Waiheke locked down? Or Tuakau? Or Milford?  

It is too blunt an instrument to lock down 1.7 million people when the problem appears to be largely in one part of town. 

Clearly, we need local lockdowns so the rest of us aren’t spreading it and who are vaxxed can get on with life and business. 

If 45 cases told you one thing today, it is that it doesn’t matter how hard you and I try to stick to the lockdown and make this work, Covid will keep spreading. 

So, we have a choice, either we let it rip, or we get smarter about this lockdown.