Coronavirus: Auckland will beat Covid-19 again, mayor says
Friday, 14 August 2020
Auckland will beat coronavirus again, its mayor says, after the prime minister confirmed the city will remain in alert level 3 lockdown for another 12 days following more community spread.
The rest of the country will stay at level 2 for the same period.
“For 102 days, we relished normality. I witnessed people coming back into the city and the economy recovering, so this is a blow to the city and the country as a whole,” Auckland Mayor Phil Goff said.
“However, we know from experience that going hard and going early is the best way to stop Covid-19’s spread.”
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It comes after 12 new confirmed cases and one probable case of coronavirus linked to the Auckland community cluster were announced on Friday.
Goff said Melbourne’s experience showed if the “going hard and going early” approach was not taken, the virus’s spread could be rampant, with a big cost to human wellbeing and lives.
“In the end, an even stricter lockdown becomes necessary, which has high economic costs as well.”
He welcomed the news Auckland was not going back to alert level 4 lockdown.
“I am very much relieved we are not going into level four. Had that happened, the implications would have been much more severe.”
Goff encouraged residents to shop local takeaways via click and collect.
Mirroring Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s message, he requested Aucklanders be kind, tolerant and demonstrate reasonable behaviour.
It was also important to remind family and friends to check in on those in their communities who might be particularly vulnerable to loneliness.
“We are all in this together.”
He pleaded with Aucklanders to get tested for coronavirus if advised by health authorities to do so, as testing was the most certain way to help contain the virus’ spread.
“We have beaten community transmission before and I’m confident we will do it again.”
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Friday evening there was nothing to suggest a move to level 4 was necessary at this stage.
Goff said: “But even at level 3 I know this means personal sacrifices for people and for businesses and I thank Aucklanders for that.
“The extension of the wage subsidy and the leave scheme will be crucial to support businesses as we navigate the next two weeks.”
Goff warned Aucklanders not to hoard or panic buy and reminded people to be patient, kind and act responsibly.
Deputy Mayor Bill Cashmore said alert level 3 struck the right balance between an effective response to the resurgence and supporting the economy.
“So many businesses have already taken a hard hit this year,” he said.
Michael Barnett, Auckland Business Chamber CEO, said he wanted to see the Government “trust business and do what is right” by unlocking trade for butchers, bakers, fruitmongers, manufacturers, abattoirs and export producers.
He described them as “deprived of their livelihoods”.
“Many businesses are running on empty so the wage subsidy and other financial support available will save some enterprises and jobs, not all, and buffer some of the economic impact from this covid insurgency,” Barnett said.
“But, the winners and losers list of what and who can open as an essential business and who cannot has to be resolved,” he said.
“Business will be relieved that Cabinet rejected a move to a harder, more prohibitive level 4 lockdown that would have stopped recovery in its tracks.
“But the goal posts need to shift, and a new game plan set to deal with any Covid resurgences and crush them with relentless, reliable testing, tracking, tracing and public compliance so we can look to the future.”
All community facilities in Auckland remain shut – parks and playgrounds are closed, along with non-essential services such as libraries, pools and leisure centres, service centres, visitor centres, community venues and early childhood education centres.
The council is still providing essential services such as rubbish disposal and recycling, but non-essential maintenance in open spaces will be stopped until the end of level 3.