September 21, 2021
Testing spurt on eve of lockdown easing
Everyone in the south Auckland suburb of Clover Park has been asked to get a Covid-19 test today, whether or not they are showing symptoms.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says a pop up testing centre has been established at the Manukau Sports Bowl.
The advice is based on a set of cases from a small geographic area, and authorities are taking a rigorous and cautious approach.
There were just 14 new cases of Covid-19 reported today, 10 in Auckland and four in upper Hauraki.
The area around Kaiaua and Whakatīwai is now under a section 70 notice, requiring people to isolate.
They will be allowed to travel along State Highway 2 to the Pōkeno area to get essential supplies.
With Auckland dropping to level 3 at midnight, the Prime Minister urged anybody going to work who is not vaccinated to get a jab this afternoon at one of the many pop up centres, 62 chemists or 135 GP clinics offering the service.
Yesterday there were more than 8000 test swabs and 50,000 vaccines administered.
Ms Ardern says 79 percent of the eligible population in Auckland is now vaccinated, and is aiming for 90 percent to have had their first jabs when Cabinet looks again at lockdown levels in two weeks.
Under level 3 people will be allowed to cross the Auckland boundary to attend funerals and tangi, visit a dying relative or accompany a tūpāpaku.
It will be limited to immediate family only, require an exemption from the Ministry of Health, and there will be strict rules including maintaining social distance, wearing face coverings and getting a swab and negative test result within 72 hours of travel.
The Government will also amend the Covid-19 Public Health Act to increase the fines for breaching lockdown rules or managed isolation and quarantine.