Community leaders are urging Wanaka residents to ignore rumours and to get their information on the location of Covid-19 cases only from official sources.
Rumours of Wanaka being a "location of interest" connected to the Delta variant cluster in Auckland had spread through the community and more widely through social media.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the suggestion of a Covid-19 case being linked to Wanaka had not been substantiated.
The Ministry of Health said it was unaware of any community cases in Wanaka and director-general of health senior media adviser Ben Heather said "at this time the Ministry of Health has no record of a positive Covid-19 community case in Wanaka".
In a media advisory from the Queenstown Lakes District Council, Mayor Jim Boult asked people to ignore rumours and get their information only through official government media channels.
“There have been suggestions and rumours of local [Covid-19] cases and I would ask people to remain calm, avoid joining the rumour mill, and rely on the Ministry of Health as the source of truth in this matter," Mr Boult said.
Wanaka ward councillor Quentin Smith said there were no confirmed Covid-19 cases in the district and councillors had been given an assurance they would be notified by the District Health Board if any came about.
"Anything else is just rumours at this stage," Cr Smith said.
Wanaka ward councillor Niamh Shaw said the DHB had advised there were no community Covid-19 cases in Wanaka, Queenstown Lakes or Otago districts.
"I know we are all hopeful this situation will persist.
"In the meantime, stay calm and be kind — to yourself as well as others.
"Remember, the most reliable source of information and advice is the Government’s Covid-19 website," Cr Shaw said.
