The decision for Waikato and Northland to remain at Alert level 3 until midnight on Monday 18th October will be difficult for many, commented Mike Smith for the Pandemic Response Group (PRG), but it is essential to slow down the current delta virus outbreak.

“During these next 5days, what we do as communities will make a huge difference to our whole country in coming weeks & following months into next year, we have been encouraging people to stay home as much as possible, to keep safe in their bubbles, and especially to be respectful of the restrictions about inter-regional travel,” says Smith.

“It is really important that we do everything we can to keep a significant rise in infections from spreading throughout the current active areas into surrounding regions. This will help the hospitals from becoming overwhelmed, as we also try to increase as much support as possible to everyone that still need to be vaccinated.”

Taitokerau Border Control reestablished their efforts this week to help maintain an extra layer of safety across Northland, with no clear line of sight on the movements of the 2 woman who travelled around the region, and are now both confirmed as positive Covid cases.

“We are checking in with iwi all over the motu who are considering how to best protect their whanau living within their respective regions,” says Lisa Tumahai, co-leader of the PRG, she also reiterating that the Pandemic Response Group is supportive of co-operation between the police and iwi border protectors.

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