New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had called residents of certain suburbs of Auckland to get tested for COVID-19, whether they were symptomatic or not. She further warned that there had been enough cases reported in the suburb to encourage officials to act. However, testing numbers still remain low in the Kiwi city. 

Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield, on Wednesday, announced 45 new community cases of COVID-19 in Auckland. The city is in its seventh week of lockdown. 

Despite the rise in cases, COVID testing sites like Ōtara and Clover Park appeared to be empty, RNZ reported. The suburbs of interest are now Henderson, Papakura, Clover Park, Māngere, Favona, Manurewa and Mt Wellington/Sylvia Park.

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About 12,974 residents from Auckland’s suburbs of interest were tested at the Northern Region Health Co-ordination Centre since last Monday, a spokeswoman said, as per RNZ. Thus means only 7% of the people living in the areas were tested. 

“We have set up pop-up testing centres in, or close to, suburbs of interest and sent out communications widely in those areas to encourage residents to attend the testing centres or their local GP or urgent care clinic,” the spokeswoman said.

Earlier Wednesday, Ardern said it was highly likely the boundary around the Auckland region will remain, even if restrictions are eased.

“We are giving full consideration to easing [alert level restrictions], but there’s a number of way we can consider that. But what is not in consideration is removing that regional boundary at this time.”

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This is expected to affect the city’s economy especially since it sees a lot of visitors pre-Christmas. 

“People from these suburbs with or without symptoms are encouraged to get tested to help us have a level of assurance that there is not undetected spread of COVID-19  in the community. People who don’t have symptoms and get a one-off COVID-19 test for surveillance purposes do not need to isolate while they wait for their result.  If you receive an invitation to get tested, even if you don’t have symptoms, please get tested,” The NRHCC spokeswoman added.