Health director-general Dr Ashley Bloomfield has named three locations in Rotorua where the Auckland family with Covid-19 visited over the weekend.
The locations are the Wai Ora Lakeside Hotel, Skyline Gondola and the Heritage Farm and 3D Art Gallery.
“The family stayed at the Wai Ora Lakeside Hotel from August 8 to 11 and two of the visits they undertook were to the Skyline Gondola and Luge which was on August 9 from 4 to 6pm and the Heritage Farm and 3D Art Gallery on August 10 between 3 and 4pm.”
Dr Bloomfield says the family also visited a number of eateries.
“I don’t have the specific information on those as yet but as soon as we do and have notified those businesses and have the time and dates that they were there we will publicise that.”
He says he is confident the visit to Rotorua of the four family members has not resulted in anyone new being classified as a close contact.
Dr Bloomfield also remains confident that Alert Level 2 remains the right alert level for Rotorua.
“Other than the trip to Rotorua there are no other locations that present any particular risk, so no, they haven’t been to a church on the preceding weekend or two.”
However, he says the Ministry of Health is taking a precautionary approach in Rotorua and a testing site is available.
“It is in Vaughan Road and there will be a pop-up testing centre in addition opening up and that site will be announced for locals.”
He says since Rotorua is a popular destination, the news of potential community transmission there is expected.
“We expect that people will have been there from around the motu and we fully expected, because we were at Alert Level 1 with freedom of movement and people moving around the country, that should we get a case it would, in fact, require a nationwide response.”
The testing site on 2 Vaughan Road operates as a drive-through facility. People visiting are asked to following the signage and the traffic cones and observe all staff requests. Entry to the swabbing clinic is off Vaughan Road, and the exit to Te Ngae Road.