By now you will have seen the disappointing news that Auckland will be returning to a regional Covid-19 Alert Level 3 lockdown as of midday today, Wednesday 12 August.
I know this news will come as a shock to many of you, as we have been assured for months now that everything was under control and our borders secure. Sadly, Covid-19 has somehow got through, and as a result Aucklanders must now come together once again to beat back this virus.
I urge everyone to take this seriously and follow the advice given to us by health officials. This includes the standard health and safety protocols we should all be familiar with by now, such as washing our hands thoroughly, physically distancing ourselves from others wherever possible and wearing a mask when it’s not possible, and staying home if you can but particularly if you’re feeling unwell. Importantly, if you do feel unwell, please contact your GP or Healthline on 0800 611 116 for advice and information on getting a Covid-19 test.
This morning I reached out to the Chief Executive of the Counties Manukau DHB urgently requesting they reopen a Covid-19 community testing station in East Auckland again, though preferably not where it was previously located at the Botany Maternity Unit.
I also wanted to notify anyone who planned to attend our “Meet your East Auckland National Party team” public meeting scheduled for Friday 14 August at Elm Park School that this has been cancelled as a result of the Alert Level 3 restrictions.
Otherwise, please stay safe and use common sense. We have been here before, we have been successful before, and we will defeat this virus again. My physical office will be closed under Alert Level 3 but as with the previous lockdown my staff will continue to work from home to assist you however we can.
You can continue to call our normal number on 09 572 0000 or email us at PakurangaMP@parliament.govt.nz.
