Covid-19: Queues form at test sites in Nelson after positive case

Queues have formed at testing sites in Nelson after someone in the community tested positive for Covid-19.

The positive case was announced Monday afternoon, followed a few hours later by places of interest from November 19.

Nelson Marlborough Medical Officer of Health Dr Stephen Bridgman said on Monday that the case, family contacts and close contacts were in community isolation or quarantine, and that testing of those contacts was underway.

Investigations are underway as to the possible source of the infection and several exposure events have been assessed by the Nelson Marlborough public health team.

READ MORE:
* Covid-19: Places of interest for the Delta epidemic – November 29
* Covid-19: first active case in Nelson since 2020
* Covid-19: Places of interest for the Delta epidemic – November 22

Increased testing and vaccinations

Nelson Bays Primary Health chief executive Sara Shaughnessy said there had been an increase in the number of people tested and vaccinated for Covid-19 in Nelson and Richmond since the positive case was announced.

There had been a scramble for testing Monday afternoon at the Medical and Injury Center adjacent to the emergency department at Nelson Hospital, and cars lined up on Saxton Rd, Stoke on Tuesday with people waiting to be tested for Covid at Saxton Field.

Testing was carried out there until 6 p.m. and at a contextual test site at the Trafalgar Center until 6 p.m.

Shaughnessy hailed the increase in the number of people wanting to be tested and vaccinated.

Diane Chandler, who works near the Saxton Rd test site, said traffic had slowed down in the area as of 10 a.m. Tuesday and there was no apparent traffic management in place.

People in line reported wait times of over an hour and a half.

Nelson Marlborough Health chief medical officer Dr Nick Baker said the case was a “wake-up call for us as a community, but in reality the messages are the same”.

Vaccination, testing if you had symptoms, washing your hands and good hygiene, wearing masks and using the Covid tracer app were the best steps people could take to stay safe, a- he declared.

Each case was like a stone thrown into a pond, he said. The question was how far the ripples had spread before the case was discovered.

“At this point we don’t know what we’re up against… we have to take precautions as if Covid is now among us. “

He urged people to trust the system and not to panic.

“We can overcome this. “

Nelson Mayor Rachel Reese encouraged people to contact their GP or healthcare professionals if they were concerned, or to visit Saxton Field or Trafalgar Center testing sites if they had symptoms of Covid-19.

She said the council was monitoring traffic and if management was required they would be able to implement it “quickly”. She said the Trafalgar Center site should help relieve the pressure.

She said there had been a “clear message” that Covid-19 cases would emerge across the country, and said it was likely that more positive cases would be found in Nelson and Tasman over the years. time.

“The contact tracing process is underway, I don’t know if any new places of interest will be confirmed, so I would say people should keep an eye on this list.”

She said people can trust the tracking system to be “robust” and people should beware of the rumor mill announcing new information before anything is confirmed.

“I know there will be a lot of speculation right now … [but] we have been well briefed by Nelson Marlborough Health all systems are working as they should.

She also encouraged people who had not yet received the vaccine to make an appointment or show up.

“This is the week to do it. Take the time today – there are people out there waiting to see you.

She said the Nelson-Tasman community had experience in emergency response.

“This is going to require a response from the whole community to support each other,” she said. “Over the years we’ve had a lot of practice dealing with various emergencies, and I’m sure the community will step in again. “

Place of interest

Several places of interest have been announced in Nelson and Richmond after being visited by someone who then tested positive for Covid-19 or their close contacts.

On Friday, November 19, someone connected with the case scanned the Richmond Liquid Laundromat in the early evening (4:45 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.).

Later that evening, someone scanned the Lone Star Restaurant on Hardy St, Nelson (8:15 p.m. – 8:45 p.m.).

Steve Gardiner, owner of the franchise since 2016, said the Health Department contacted him after Monday’s announcement named the popular restaurant as one of the places of interest.

Gardiner said all of his staff “were good, and it was still business as usual,” adding that he would monitor things and wait to “see where Friday takes us” after the vaccination passport is implemented. .

The last stop of the day was the Z petrol station on Rutherford St (8:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.). It was also the first location checked the next morning, scanning around 5 a.m. on Saturday, November 20.

The next scan-in on Saturday morning was Rutherford St McDonald’s (5:00 a.m. – 5:30 a.m.), followed by a contact scanning at Four Square Mapua (4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.).

There were no more places of interest that week until Thursday, November 25, when someone connected to the case again scanned at the Richmond Laundromat (6:15 p.m. – 8 p.m.).

On the morning of Saturday, November 27, a person linked to the case scanned Ewing Poultry Hope (10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.).

Owner Paul Ewing said nothing has changed for the Tasman business, although it has been designated as a place of interest.

“Nothing has changed for us since level 4, there are no customers in the store, everything is contactless,” said Ewing.

“Rest assured, everything is perfect A1 and completely safe – there was no contact at all.”

Ewing said he believed the person was a customer who had come to his family farm to buy eggs, as it did not involve any of his staff.

Later that same Saturday, a contact scanned the Richmond Mall, as well as the Pak n Save and Hey Sushi store in the food court (1:30 p.m. – 2:40 p.m.).

Hey Sushi owner Tosh Kondo said the first time he knew the person linked to the positive Covid case visiting his outlet in the Richmond Mall food court was Monday afternoon when ‘a nurse called and told them.

He didn’t care about the customer’s visit as everyone had to wear masks, and being a takeaway sushi outlet, customers were only there very briefly, buying sushi and leaving, did -he declares. Kondo did not know the client.

Being a food company, it had to keep very clean anyway, so they just went on their normal cleaning regimen after finding out about the deal. Kondo said it was business as usual at the sushi store.

Richmond Mall manager Belinda de Clercq said an occasional contact from the Covid case visited the mall on Saturday for about 40 minutes.

Health ministry officials said the risk was “low” and the chance of transmission “minimal,” de Clercq said. However, as a precaution, the staff had performed additional cleaning.

“But … there is no need to panic, and no further requirements are required.”

The places of interest are:

– Lone Star, Nelson (Friday November 19, 8:15 p.m.-8:45 p.m.)

– Richmond Liquid Laundromat (Friday November 19 4:45 p.m.-6.30 p.m., Thursday November 25 6.15 p.m.-8 p.m.)

– Z Rutherford Service Station, Nelson (Friday November 19 8:30 p.m. – 9 p.m., Saturday November 20 5 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.)

– Four Square Mapua (Saturday November 20 4 pm-5pm)

– McDonald’s Rutherford St Nelson (Saturday 20 November 5 am-5.30am)

– Z Richmond Service Station, Richmond (Saturday, November 27 10:45 a.m.-11:10 a.m., Saturday November 27 2:35 p.m.-2:45 p.m.)

– Pak n Save Richmond Mall (Saturday 27 November 1:40 p.m.-2:15 p.m.)

– Richmond Mall (Saturday 27 November 1:30 p.m. to 2:40 p.m.)

– Ewing Poultry, Hope (Saturday November 27 10:30 am-11am)

– Hey Sushi Richmond Mall Food Court (Saturday November 27 2.15pm-2.30pm)

More soon…