Stratford wastewater detection

[harm_less]

I'm located about 30km north of Stratford so like many others in Taranaki I'm watching the daily COVID case reports intently to see if the wastewater detection of COVID there last Monday is followed by any local cases. Like many other people we have been travelling throughout Taranaki over the last week (including Stratford on Thursday) as we visited the many private and public gardens and art displays which are presently open for the Taranaki Garden Festival and Arts Trail.

The events finish at days end today so the many out of province visitors will be heading back to their home towns. It will be interesting to see if the COVID case detected in Stratford pops up elsewhere or if the virus hitches a ride home with someone else. I'm sure COVID will become endemic here in NZ in the near future but just hope that a sufficient percentage of us are vaccinated by then to limit the pressure this will place on our health system when that does happen.

[nzoomed]

apparently there are 6 cases discovered there linked to an auckland case.
How did this even happen with the closed borders?
I dont remember hearing anything about it on the news with the updated cases today.

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Were you masked?

I think we need to think about taking masking a lot more seriously. Wherever we are. Every reduction in risk is a good idea till we get better immunity nationwide.

[Magoo]

mask up people. its ok to abide

---

this is the kind of mask that says 'im fucken seriously covid combatant'

[Oh_hunnihunni]

I prefer something a bit more sparkly, but if you look good in that beak, you go for it. The Zorro version though simply doesn't cut it anymore. Even on screen.

[Me+Me]

Of the group, three are adults and three are children and the cases are linked, Jarman said. It's thought the children haven't been at school or pre-school during their infectious periods.

He said in the end the people involved agreed to get tested after they realised it was potentially a serious illness, with one person involved in this new cluster saying ÔÇ£it was the sickest theyÔÇÖd ever beenÔÇØ.

Two of the people involved had been in Auckland at the end of October. They have all become unwell with various levels of illness, however, it appears the group have kept to themselves, Jarman told Morning Report, noting the cases had not been using the Covid tracer app.

BLOODY FOOLS.  That's how NOT to look after your family & loved ones and fellow citizens.  Jeez.  People need to wake up on this.

[harm_less]

apparently there are 6 cases discovered there linked to an auckland case.
How did this even happen with the closed borders?
I dont remember hearing anything about it on the news with the updated cases today.

Many of the venues we visited during the Garden Festival and Arts Trail commented on the large numbers of Wellington and Tauranga visitors they were seeing. In regard to those here from the Bay of Plenty & Coromandel I wondered about how they travelled to Taranaki considering that there has been 'border control' on SH3 north of Taranaki in light of the level 3 alert status in Waikato/King Country but apparently SH43 (the alternative 'scenic route') between Stratford and Ohura/Taumarunui was very busy during the festival.

In regard to masking we and most others including garden festival hosts were complying with mask and tracker scanning though in the open air (with strong winds on Thursday last) masks came off as we checked out the gardens. Unmasked for a meal in Stratford and a masked visit to an art gallery there were probably our highest risk activities.

My partner and I have been off colour for the past few days so got swabbed yesterday and are self isolating until the results come in. Fingers crossed!

[nzoomed]

mask up people. its ok to abide

---

this is the kind of mask that says 'im fucken seriously covid combatant'

The only kind of mask that can protect you is literally a gas mask.

[volcwatcher]

apparently there are 6 cases discovered there linked to an auckland case.
How did this even happen with the closed borders?
I dont remember hearing anything about it on the news with the updated cases today.

Many of the venues we visited during the Garden Festival and Arts Trail commented on the large numbers of Wellington and Tauranga visitors they were seeing. In regard to those here from the Bay of Plenty & Coromandel I wondered about how they travelled to Taranaki considering that there has been 'border control' on SH3 north of Taranaki in light of the level 3 alert status in Waikato/King Country but apparently SH43 (the alternative 'scenic route') between Stratford and Ohura/Taumarunui was very busy during the festival.

In regard to masking we and most others including garden festival hosts were complying with mask and tracker scanning though in the open air (with strong winds on Thursday last) masks came off as we checked out the gardens. Unmasked for a meal in Stratford and a masked visit to an art gallery there were probably our highest risk activities.

My partner and I have been off colour for the past few days so got swabbed yesterday and are self isolating until the results come in. Fingers crossed!

Good luck with your results

[crafters_corner]

All the best to you and your partner harm_less, for your results. Scary time for you both.

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Yes, very good luck. And good to hear you are masking. Better safe than sorry.

I did find it darkly amusing though that the area had really low testing and vaccine stats. Until this week...

[Praktica]

Yes, very good luck. And good to hear you are masking. Better safe than sorry.

I did find it darkly amusing though that the area had really low testing and vaccine stats. Until this week...

It's all a plot, I tell you, to get vaccination rates up...

[nzoomed]

https://www.1news.co.nz/2021/11/11/taran...ested-dhb/

They need to explain how they got to stradford if its linked to the Auckland outbreak

[harm_less]

https://www.1news.co.nz/2021/11/11/taran...ested-dhb/

They need to explain how they got to stradford if its linked to the Auckland outbreak

My sister is a nurse at North Shore and has said that various backroads out of Auckland are known routes out of the bordered area and have been very busy in the last few weeks.

[Oh_hunnihunni]

And everyone who is anyone up here has a chopper these days...

[harm_less]

And everyone who is anyone up here has a chopper these days...

Pass!

[nzoomed]

https://www.1news.co.nz/2021/11/11/taran...ested-dhb/

They need to explain how they got to stradford if its linked to the Auckland outbreak

My sister is a nurse at North Shore and has said that various backroads out of Auckland are known routes out of the bordered area and have been very busy in the last few weeks.

Interesting, obviously there are many roads out, I was always led to believe that the reason why it was easy to maintain the Auckland border was due to lack of backroads like hamilton.
Either way, they are not going into much detail about the case and how they got out.
Wouldnt surprise me if it was more gang ties like what we had with waikatos cases.

[harm_less]

My sister is a nurse at North Shore and has said that various backroads out of Auckland are known routes out of the bordered area and have been very busy in the last few weeks.

Interesting, obviously there are many roads out, I was always led to believe that the reason why it was easy to maintain the Auckland border was due to lack of backroads like hamilton.
Either way, they are not going into much detail about the case and how they got out.
Wouldnt surprise me if it was more gang ties like what we had with waikatos cases.

Without being too derogatory towards Stratford you may well be on the right track.

[reigns]

https://www.1news.co.nz/2021/11/11/taran...ested-dhb/

They need to explain how they got to stradford if its linked to the Auckland outbreak

My sister is a nurse at North Shore and has said that various backroads out of Auckland are known routes out of the bordered area and have been very busy in the last few weeks.

As a Northlander, I can't wait for the Auckland escapees to make it up to Northland and make our outbreak spread faster across one of the slowest vaccinating regions in the country.

Should be a fun time with only 8 ICU beds available at Whangarei Hospital.

[Oh_hunnihunni]

This is why I like the idea of a Deadline Date. Receiving notice of execution does concentrate the mind I'm told.