At an impromptu announcement at 9:15pm, August 11, Jacinda and Ashley Bloomfield broke the news that Covid-19 has resurfaced in the community. It takes the form of one cluster: four family members. Aotearoa resumes lockdown protocol.
As of publishing, Auckland will be at Level 3 until midnight on Friday, August 14, while the rest of the country is elevated to Level 2.
New Zealand lasted 102 days without the virus in the community. We don’t know where this current cluster of cases first caught the ‘rona but, as of publishing, 13 close contacts of the family tested positive.
The rest of the nation stares uncomfortably at Auckland - more uncomfortably than usual - as the city plunges back into Level 3 protocol. Aucklanders rush to congregate in large, dense groups outside of supermarkets as if they’ve forgotten supermarkets never ran out of food last time. Unfortunately, nothing seems to incite a panic more than saying “there’s no need to panic”.
Dunedin is at Level 2. In a bout of extremely poor timing, potential freshers congregated here from all over the country on Monday for campus open day, the day before Covid’s return to the community was announced. Oops. Updates from the Ministry of Health have been made over the past few days, and the situation will undoubtedly change by the time this issue is in stands on Sunday August 16.
The advice from government officials: wash your hands, stay at home if you are feeling even a little bit sick, and self-isolate and get tested for Covid if you are experiencing any of its symptoms. Symptoms include a dry cough, fever, and tiredness. Also wash your hands.
In related news, the South Island Independence Movement has been gaining popularity recently. Despite many of their supporters insisting that the virus is a hoax and lockdown a government ploy, some seem very keen to label Northerners as “infected”. One supporter’s solution to inter-island travel: build a wall between the North and South Islands. If only there were some sort of massive, natural barrier between the islands already, maybe like a moat, or something. Should somebody tell them?