Covid-19: NZ marks longest stretch with no community transmission since pandemic began

13:20, Jun 10 2021
David White stuff.co.nz
A church leader integral to the fight against Covid-19 in south Auckland has been awarded the Queen’s Service Medal for his 29 years of work in the Samoan community.

New Zealand has gone the longest stretch of time without community transmission of Covid-19 since the pandemic first began.

Thursday marks 103 days since the last case of Covid-19 community transmission was reported, on February 28, 2021.

There have been two other lengthy Covid-free stretches since New Zealand recorded its first ever case on February 28, 2020.

Today marks 103 days without any Covid-19 community transmission, breaking the previous 102-day record before the Auckland August cluster. (File photo)
Abigail Dougherty/Stuff
Today marks 103 days without any Covid-19 community transmission, breaking the previous 102-day record before the Auckland August cluster. (File photo)

The first was 102 days, broken on August 11, 2020, when an Auckland family of four with no link to the border tested positive.

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It was the beginning of the country’s largest cluster, with 179 cases in total, and saw Auckland and the rest of the country raise alert levels.

Its origins remain a mystery.

New Zealand enjoyed a Covid-free summer, with no cases of community transmission recorded between November 16 and February 14 – 90 days in total.

The cases announced on Valentine's Day, centred around the south Auckland suburb of Papatoetoe, spurred two alert level 3 lockdowns.

The Auckland February cluster, which saw 15 confirmed cases in total, was officially closed in April.

It is “very likely” its origins may never be found.

The February cluster, emerging in south Auckland and affecting families linked to Papatoetoe High School, came after a Covid-free summer.
Abigail Dougherty/Stuff
The February cluster, emerging in south Auckland and affecting families linked to Papatoetoe High School, came after a Covid-free summer.

Microbiologist Dr Siouxsie Wiles said the 103-day milestone is “an opportunity to be thankful” for where New Zealand is as a country, and to thank those doing the “hard yards” at the border and in managed isolation and quarantine facilities.

The pandemic is still raging overseas, and more and more infectious variants are emerging, which will “test our processes”, she said.

Wiles said “we all need to be prepared” in case of another outbreak of Covid-19, as countries like Taiwan and Fiji prove New Zealand is not immune to future cases.

This doesn’t mean people should “live in fear”, but that Kiwis should be doing everything they can to help mitigate the risk if there is a breach at the border.

Dr Siouxsie Wiles says New Zealanders should do everything they can for us to have the best chance in the event of future Covid-19 cases.
Abigail Dougherty/Stuff
Dr Siouxsie Wiles says New Zealanders should do everything they can for us to have the best chance in the event of future Covid-19 cases.

That includes staying on top of Covid Tracer App use, she said.

“The best time to be using [the app] was two weeks ago. The second best time is today.”

Wiles said it is also crucial that people who have any symptoms get tested, and not assume that because we don’t have known Covid-19 cases that they are in the clear.

“That’s the way we find out,” she said.

Wiles said she wanted to express her gratitude to everyone putting themselves in “harms’ way” by going to work at the border.

They ensure the country is able to enjoy these Covid-free periods, she said.

As of Thursday, New Zealand has had 2341 confirmed cases of Covid-19.