The Ministry of Health's locations of interest list is now nearing the 150 mark, with a total of 148 locations identified in the Auckland and Coromandel regions, as of 10am.
A total of 79 locations of interest were added to the list yesterday alone - all of them in Auckland and, for the first time since Wednesday, started to show businesses and eateries outside of North Shore, where a 58-year-old Devonport man tested positive for Covid earlier this week - sparking a level 4 lockdown.
Businesses, cafes, restaurants, supermarkets, takeaways, movie cinemas, petrol stations, car yards and even a cemetery are now all included in the growing list, which now covers West Auckland, East Auckland, South Auckland and the North Shore.
Health officials are poised to update the list again today, after several updates were made on its website throughout yesterday. The latest update was made last night at 7.55pm.
Authorities including director general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern continue to advise people to check the list regularly to ensure they have not been at a location of interest.
That message was particularly loud for essential workers as well as people living in or have recently been in the Auckland region.
Anyone who has been at a location of interest at the same time as a confirmed Covid positive case is automatically deemed a close contact.
All close contacts are to go into self-isolation immediately - as well as anyone they are living with - for 14 days.
They are also asked to get tested for Covid and to contact Healthline on 0800 611 116 for more advice.
It is thought potentially thousands of people are or will be affected and some companies are already having to deal with the effects of having a reduced number of staff available.
A dozen supermarkets around Auckland have been named as locations of interest in the last few days. In some cases, a Covid positive case or cases have visited the outlets twice.
Many staff members are having to self-isolate for a fortnight.
Some supermarkets, including New World Mt Roskill and Pak'nSave Wairau, have started advertising job positions - including checkout operators - in order to help fill current vacancies caused by the Covid outbreak.
Pak'nSave Wairau has also reduced its opening hours because of reduced number of staff members able to work.
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Comments
While we are watching the list of "places of interest" growing, almost exponentially, we tend to forget one thing. That is, the system is working. It's doing what it was designed to do.
While it may ultimately be overcome by the virulency of the Delta strain of Covid19 and the failure of almost half of the population ceasing to use the tracing technology/systems, it is working and is workingdamned well.
This needs to be recognised now, in the height of the crisis, by all the naysayers and negative nannies out there who have been complaining about the Govts mismanagement of the crisis.
Just saying.