Remaining vigilant on COVID-19

Our health experts had warned there was a high chance we would again see an outbreak of the COVID-19 virus inside our borders and that has now occurred. Auckland is temporarily at Level 3 lockdown and the rest of the country has moved to Level 2 restrictions until midnight Friday. The Government will then decide what further measures may be necessary.

At the time the Prime Minister announced these changes on Tuesday night, New Zealand had achieved a remarkable 102 days with no community spread of the COVID-19 virus. We were among only a handful of nations that had managed to eliminate the disease and we achieved that by acting swiftly and decisively. We have again acted swiftly.

If you have relatives in Australia, you will be aware of the sudden return to lockdown in regional Victoria and Melbourne. This, and our own experience, demonstrates how easily the virus can find gaps in control measures and how quickly infection rates can spiral. Minister of Health, Chris Hipkins, is urging all Kiwis to make contact tracing part of our daily routine. He says recent events highlight the need to record our daily movements so we can rapidly trace those who may come into contact with the virus. He has asked local authorities across the country to help promote the New Zealand COVID Tracer app and QR codes for businesses. I’m happy to do that and I urge all businesses, schools, and public agencies in the Far North to display QR codes. Keeping a record of where we have been is a habit we need to get into so we can make contact tracing more effective.

The people of the Far North are an independent bunch and I know some may feel wary about having their movements recorded. The Privacy Commissioner has addressed these concerns and is satisfied your privacy is protected by the NZ COVID Tracer phone app. That’s because information recorded through the app, such as businesses you have visited, is stored on your phone. The app will alert you if you have been somewhere at the same time as a confirmed or probable case of COVID-19. Contact alerts work through ‘push notifications’ to your phone. If a match is found in your digital diary, you’ll receive an alert. Location information is not transmitted from your phone to the Ministry of Health.

I think the best chance we have of staying ahead of this disease and preserving the freedoms we now enjoy is to stay vigilant. That means getting into the habit of recording where we have been. So please, download the app and start using it. The Council will be encouraging businesses to create and display the QR codes so it is easy for everyone record where they have been. Failure to get this right could have a massive impact on the health of our communities and on our economic wellbeing. Go to www.covid19.govt.nz to find out how to create a QR poster for your business.