Staff working at the Hauraki cafe visited by the 58-year-old Covid-19 community case on August 15 will be getting their Covid-19 tests this morning.
Woodturners Cafe on State Highway 2, Mangatarata, just west of Ngatea, was visited by the man from Devonport, Auckland, and his wife between 12.40pm and 1.25pm.
Since then, health officials have announced four more Covid-19 cases in the community, all linked to the man who visited the Coromandel, prompting a nationwide Alert Level 4 lockdown from 11:58pm Tuesday. The cases have been confirmed as the more contagious Delta variant of the virus, and no links to the border or MIQ have been established yet.
Woodturners Cafe owner Blair Mattock told The Profile there were up to 10 staff working on what was a busy Sunday shift when the Covid-19 case stopped in.
“Weekends are pretty busy for us. It was lunchtime, and there would have been a line of customers waiting to be served,” he said.
“We cater to the travelling public.”
The man and his wife visited the cafe on their way home from Coromandel Town, and Mr Mattock said it was not uncommon to have visitors divert their route to visit the cafe.
He said Woodturners was open-plan, and the man could have had contact with any member of his staff.
Those working in the days following the couple’s visit would be getting a Covid-19 test on Wednesday morning, he said.
With Auckland and the Coromandel Peninsula in Alert Level 4 for seven days, and the rest of the country in Level 4 for three, Mr Mattock expected the cafe to be closed for at least two weeks, and would undergo a deep-clean.
There was definitely no ill will towards the Covid-positive man, he said.
“He wouldn’t have even known that he was infected when he came here, so hats off to him for getting tested, it was a great move and it might have saved a lot of people down the track.”
By KELLEY TANTAU
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
Health officials are investigating an outbreak of the Covid-19 Delta variant in the community, prompting the government to put the Coromandel Peninsula into an Alert Level 4 lockdown from Tuesday night.
The Coromandel Peninsula and Auckland will be in this level for seven days, the rest of the country will be in it for three days, at least, and people away from home will have 48 hours to return.
Four new community cases have been reported overnight, including an Auckland hospital worker, all linked to a 58-year-old man from Devonport, Auckland, who developed Covid-19 after visiting Coromandel township with his wife on August 13-15.
His wife, who has received two doses of the vaccine, returned a negative Covid-19 test.
On their way home from Coromandel Town, the couple stopped in at Woodturners Cafe on State Highway 2, Mangatarata, just west of Ngatea, on Sunday, August 15 from 12.40pm to 1.25pm.
IF YOU VISITED WOODTURNERS
Woodturners has been listed as a location of interest by the Ministry of Health, which means anyone who has visited Woodturners Cafe or any of the locations of interest recently is required by the Ministry of Health to self-isolate at home and call Healthline on 0800 358 5453 for advice.
Locations of interest that have been confirmed are listed on the Ministry of Health website: www.health.govt.nz.
- The Star and Garter Hotel, 5 Kapanga Rd, Coromandel, on August 13 from 6.39pm-7.40pm
- Umu Cafe, 22 Wharf Rd, Coromandel, on August 13 from 7.40pm-8.30pm
- BP gas station, Tiki Rd, Coromandel, on August 14 from 9.30am-9.40am
- Driving Creek Railway Tours, 380 Driving Creek Rd, Coromandel, on August 14 from 10.30am-10.50am
- Jaks Cafe & Bar, 104 Kapanga Rd, Coromandel, on August 14 from 10.50am-11.30am
- Hereford ‘n’ a Pickle, 2318 Colville Rd, Coromandel, on August 14 from 1.25pm-2.15pm
- Taras Beads, 1/75 Kapanga Rd, Coromandel, on August 15 from 3pm-3.10pm
- Richardsons Real Estate Coromandel, 151 Kapanga Rd, Coromandel, on August 14 from 3.30pm-3.35pm
- Umu Cafe, 22 Wharf Rd, Coromandel, on August 14 from 6.17pm-7.11pm
- Star and Garter Hotel, 5 Kapanga Rd, Coromandel, on August 14 from 7.11pm-9pm
- Umu Cafe, 22 Wharf Road, Coromandel, on August from 15 10.14am-11.10 am
- Taras Beads, 1/75 Kapanga Road, Coromandel, on August 15 from 10am-10.05am
- Woodturner Cafe, State Highway 2, Thames, on August 15 from 12.40 pm-1.25pm
ALERT LEVEL 4
For information about what Alert Level 4 means, go to: covid9.govt.nz/alert-levels-and-updates/alert-level-4.
VACCINATIONS
Vaccinations have been put on hold for a few days and vaccination centres are closed. Those who had a vaccination booked for August 18-19, will have been contacted by the Covid Vaccination Healthline to say their vaccination will not go ahead, and to rebook their appointment towards the end of August. Vaccinations can be booked online at bookmyvaccine.nz or Ph 0800 28 29 26.
