Auckland

Auckland teams won't rejoin provincial rugby championship

It has been almost two months since Auckland, Counties-Manukau and North Harbour have played in the competition because of Covid-19 restrictions.

The decision comes after government declined New Zealand Rugby's third travel exemption application to get the teams out of the region.

The NPC season will continue with the 11 provincial unions outside of the Auckland region, and NZR has confirmed there are plans to set up a separate Super City Series for the three Auckland teams once they are able to resume playing.

PM Jacinda Ardern announces new travel rules for leaving Auckland

Ardern announced the changes for people who may need to cross the Auckland boundary at today's media briefing on the Delta outbreak.

There are eight new cases of Covid-19 in the community today and four in managed isolation.

Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield also spoke at the briefing.

Ardern says from 11.59pm tonight, people will be able to leave Auckland into a level 2 environment if they:

12 new community cases in Auckland - Health Ministry

In a statement the Health Ministry said there are now a total of 1177 community cases associated with the latest outbreak of the Delta variant of the virus.

All of the latest cases were identified in Auckland.

The ministry said one of today's community cases had previously been under investigation and is now confirmed and linked to the current outbreak. "The case has now recovered. The case spent 14 days in a quarantine facility along with household members who also tested positive for Covid-19."

Aucklanders in seven suburbs told to get a test even without symptoms

Mt Eden, Massey, Māngere, Favona, Ōtara, Papatoetoe and Manurewa are under increased scrutiny by health officials because of their links to mystery cases or clusters that may have unexpected cases.

Counties Manukau District Health Board chief executive Margie Apa said it was most important they get tested if they had symptoms – but they also wanted people without symptoms to come forward.

Auckland primary schools embrace online celebration for Tongan language week

This year's Uike Lea Faka-Tonga or Tongan Language week was a virtual affair because of the nation-wide lockdowns for COVID-19 said Minister Aupito William Sio.

The theme is Fakakoloa 'o Aotearoa 'aki 'a e Ako Lelei, which in English, it means, Enriching Aotearoa New Zealand with holistic education.

"Of course, right now, learning the traditional way - such as attending school or university - was on hold due to the current COVID-19 restrictions.

"Alert Level 4 and 3 means students must learn from home, and follow the golden rules," Sio said.

Man shot dead at Countdown supermarket in Auckland

St John said two patients in a critical condition have been taken to Auckland City hospital, one patient in a moderate condition has been taken to Waitakere Hospital and one patient in a moderate condition has been taken to Middlemore Hospital

Heavily armed police and ambulances are at the scene at LynnMall in New Lynn.

Police said the incident is still unfolding, but can confirm that a man has entered a supermarket and injured multiple people.

He was located by police and shot, and has died at the scene.

     

Photo RNZ 

NZ in day two of lockdown as case numbers rise

There are 10 cases in the community and almost 70 locations of interest in Auckland and Coromandel.

Shopping malls, bars and cinemas across Auckland have been added to the Ministry of Health list of locations of interest meaning potentially thousands of people are now considered contacts.

Last night, malls in Albany and New Lynn, and supermarkets in different parts of Auckland were added.

So far, the earliest potential exposure site dates back two weeks to 3 August.

Tongan youth leaders hold local board to account on crime hike

Late last month, the trust took matters into their own hands and sat down with the Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board to ask them what they could do to help reduce crime.

Simulata Pope has been involved with the To'utupu or Tonga Youth Trust all her life.

Her biggest frustration was with elected officials, who are nowhere to be seen when their young constituents asked for help.

"We vote these community leaders in. We vote all these adults in and the only time we see them are during elections," she said.

Two Tongan men lose name suppression in Auckland murder case

Sosaia Vaitohi, 26, and Metthuselak Talakai, 28, appeared briefly in the High Court at Auckland yesterday.

The New Zealand Herald reports name suppression for both of them lapsed yesterday.

Talakai's next appearance will be a callover on June 30 and Vaitohi will have a case review of August 18.

Both men were remanded in custody.

Defence counsel Emma Priest said both had requested to attend their upcoming hearings in person.

Moala was 31, was married and had three children, his father told the Herald last month.

OFC competitions calendar rescheduled

 Taking this into consideration, the OFC Executive Committee has agreed to a range of changes to the football calendar, including the cancellation of this year’s OFC Champions League.

 It will mark the second consecutive year that no winner of the Champions League will be crowned after last year’s competition had to be abandoned following the group stages due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 A number of options were explored for this year’s tournament but given the border closures throughout the Pacific it became impossible to operate the event.