A local person has tested negative for COVID-19 after being a close contact of a positive COVID-19 case from the Waikato cluster.

Wairoa Mayor Craig Little urged the community to be calm in the wake of the COVID threat saying the person involved had followed all the correct procedures.

The Ministry of Health had described the situation as low risk and the person concerned is double vaccinated and is self-isolating.

Mr Little said we need to remember this person did everything right and nothing wrong.

“Wairoa’s rumour mill was operating in overdrive, and it is a very timely reminder for people to ensure they are only listening to the correct Government driven advice and messaging.

“I also urge everyone to please listen to the facts. Get your information from reliable and accurate sources and do not listen to rumours and scaremongering.

“We need to keep this in perspective. As we know, COVID is in New Zealand and realistically it is only a matter of time until it reaches Wairoa and the rest of the country.

“This situation demonstrates how easily COVID can potentially be spread. We may have been lucky this time with this person returning a negative result, but this type of situation, through no fault of anyone, could easily occur again.

“This is a reminder of how important it is for our community to be vaccinated. As Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told us when she visited town earlier this month,’ a double vaccine dose can lessen your likelihood of getting COVID-19, lessen the severity of any illness and complications and lessen your chances of spreading the virus’.

“The Delta variant could have a devastating impact if it gets to Wairoa. We have many vulnerable members of our whānau and limited health resources to support them. Our nearest ICU is two hours away and we have no ventilators, so it is really important to keep our whānau safe.

“It is also really important people wear their masks, follow the recommended hand washing and hygiene protocols and use your COVID app tracer. This is extremely important with a long weekend coming up when we would expect more people to be out and about, including visitors to our district.

“Wairoa is a tight knit community and I encourage you all to show your kindness and aroha and support each other during these difficult times.”

People who haven’t yet been vaccinated, or are due for their second vaccination, can get vaccinated at the Queen Street Practice between 3 and 4 pm, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, bookings and walk-ins welcome.

21 October 2021

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