A Covid case in the Whangārei suburb of Otangarei has health authorities on high alert, with fears it could be a 'time-bomb' waiting to go off.
The positive case spent a week in the community before returning to Auckland, and their family are now waiting their own test results.
A Covid-19 testing centre sign in Whangārei. Photo: RNZ / Nita Blake-Persen
There are 27 active cases in Northland at the moment, with four new cases today. And as the virus spreads further into the community, the race is on to boost the region's lagging vaccination rates.
Otangarei is one of Whangārei's least vaccinated areas. Just over 70 percent of people have had one vaccination, but only 51 percent are fully vaccinated.
That means a Covid case that was in the community last week is a huge concern for the team at Te Hau Āwhiowhio ō Otangarei Trust.
Trust chief executive Martin Kaipo said if Covid were to spread in the community, it would be a 'time-bomb', especially for the unvaccinated.
Kaipo said the Trust is providing support to the whānau connected to the positive case, with everyone waiting test results while they self isolate.
But in a large household of around 10 people, he is concerned cases could be about to rise rapidly.
It is not just Covid that is a health concern in the community. Kaipo said Otangarei has the highest chronic needs in Whangārei.
"We have all those statistics so we have to protect the wider population - in terms of age groups - they're very vulnerable. But then again we have those groups who are quite arrogant to the vaccine."
Te Hau Āwhiowhio o Otangarei Trust has worked relentlessly to boost vaccination rates in the area, but Kaipo said they are up against some tough opposition now.
"We still have a small portion, which is probably about 18 percent, could potentially be around 300 to 380 people, that are still hardcore resistant around the vaccine, and that comes down to the trust stuff," he said.
The swabbing centre in Otangarei was only open from 10am-2pm but would return later this week.
Sue Baker is one of the public health nurses running the Kaupapa Māori testing vans in Northland - she was helping collect the 100 or so swabs taken in Otangarei on Tuesday.
She said her teams have learnt how to deal with a whole range of situations over recent months.
"We've learnt how the scaremongering affects our families and they get too scared to come forward, so we want to be out here showing our faces, and knowing it's ok, come and talk to us."
There are 27 active cases in Northland at the moment, with four new cases on Tuesday.
All four cases in Northland on Tuesday are linked to existing cases. One case is in Whangārei and three are in Kaikohe.
A case in Whangārei Hospital has been discharged.
Northland needs another 9782 shots to reach the 90 percent first doses mark, and nearly 26,000 more to get 90 percent of people fully vaccinated.
