Covid detected in Warkworth wastewater

Dozens of people turned up for Covid-19 testing at two medical centres in Warkworth this morning, following news that Covid was detected in wastewater from Warkworth last Tuesday.

Among those requiring Covid tests are staff from Bayleys real estate offices in Mahurangi who attended a national conference at Spark Arena in Auckland last Friday (August 13) and staff from Mitre 10 in Warkworth who attended a Mitre 10 conference a day earlier at the same venue.  

A bar worker at the venue subsequently tested positive for Covid-19 and all who attended the conferences have been deemed close contacts.

Bayleys in the North director Mark Macky says Bayleys was advised around 8pm last night of the risk and around 20 Bayleys staff from Mahurangi who attended the conference have now been tested.

All staff are self-isolating at home.

The Director of Public Health Dr Caroline McElnay has urged anyone in the Warkworth area who has been at a location of interest or who has cold and flu symptoms to get a test. The list of locations of interest can be found at covid19.govt.nz.

Further tests of Warkworth and Snells Beach wastewater will be taken today and tomorrow.

A pop-up testing station is at the Coast to Coast Medical Centre, 77 Morrison Drive Warkworth, this weekend. It is open today until 5pm and tomorrow from 8.30am to 5pm. People are asked to call ahead on 09 425 8585.

The number of Covid-19 cases in the community has risen from 30 yesterday to 51 today.