Covid 19 Delta outbreak: Taranaki places of interest should be revealed after family tests positive

Authorities in Taranaki are expected to reveal any place of interest related to a local family who has tested positive for Covid-19.

Residents of the city of Stratford and surrounding areas are being urged to get tested after yesterday’s news that a family of six in the area had been stricken with the virus.

All have isolated themselves after a visitor to Auckland returned a positive result for Covid after previously testing negative before leaving the city for the visit.

Taranaki District Health Council’s medical officer of health Dr Jonathan Jarman said the group of three adults and three children were left alone.

But they were very reluctant to be tested for Covid and did not use the tracking app, he told Radio NZ.

The kids weren’t in school or kindergarten during their infectious period and he said there could be one or two places of interest related to the family.

This information would be released later this morning, he said.

Stratford District Mayor Neil Volzke said this morning officials were due to meet at 8 a.m. and more information would be released afterwards, including whether a limit could be put in place as a result of the new cases.

He told Mike Hosking of Newstalk ZB that the news would bring a lot of angst in the community.

But that came as no shock given that there had recently been traces of Covid found in sewage samples.

Volzke said more pop-up testing clinics would be set up over the weekend, but acknowledged that testing rates had risen slightly before that.

Regarding vaccination rates in the region, which remain somewhat low, he said the new cases would certainly encourage people to receive the vaccine.

“There is certainly some hesitation, but I think on top of that there is a certain complacency.

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“It will definitely inspire some people to get vaxxed and those who are not doing well, of course we want to get tested.”

Volzke later told TVNZ’s Breakfast that there had been little, if any, outside connection with the family involved, as they had largely stayed at home.

No place of interest had been linked to them early this morning. If some were identified, however, the mayor said there could be very few.

He called on his community to come out and get tested this weekend and get vaccinated.

“I don’t think anyone would have expected to find six all at once – it will come as a surprise to people.

The last person with Covid was out in Waikato on Tuesday

“But the message is to stay calm, to do whatever you need to do to avoid social distancing, wear your masks, that sort of thing. And if you’re not feeling well, go get tested.”

According to the Health Ministry’s locations page, the last person infected with the virus left Ōtorohanga three days ago.

One person who tested positive for Covid was at the Countdown Ōtorohanga supermarket on Maniapoto Street for just under two hours on Tuesday morning.

The affected time is between 9:30 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. Anyone who was at the supermarket at the time is advised to monitor their health for 14 days after being exposed and to take a Covid test if symptoms begin to develop.