Countdown brings up temp staff from Hamilton

August 27, 2021
WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND - AUGUST 18: A NZ Covid Tracer App QR code and hand sanitiser sit at the entrance to a Countdown supermarket during the first day of a national lockdown on August 18, 2021 in Wellington, New Zealand. Level 4 lockdown restrictions have come into effect across New Zealand for the next three days, while Auckland and the Coromandel Peninsula will remain in lockdown for seven days after a positive COVID-19 case was confirmed in the community in Auckland on Tuesday. The positive case traveled to Coromandel over the weekend and the source of the infection is still unknown. New Zealand health officials are also yet to confirm whether it is the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus. Under COVID-19 Alert Level 4 measures, people are instructed to stay at home in their bubble other than for essential reasons, with travel severely limited. All non-essential businesses are closed, including bars, restaurants, cinemas and playgrounds. All indoor and outdoor events are banned, while schools have switched to online learning. Essential services remain open, including supermarkets and pharmacies. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)

Countdown has brought up 12 temporary workers from Hamilton to work in its Penrose e-store amid Auckland staff shortages.

As of Thursday, about 2100 Countdown staff are isolating around the country due to the current outbreak of Delta in the community. 

Around 19 of its stores are locations of interest  and eight in Auckland are temporarily closed due to low staff numbers.

Countdown confirmed to 1 NEWS 12 people via recruitment agency AWF were coming up to Auckland.

"These people work the same shifts and like all of our stores, our Penrose eStore has robust health and safety measures in place for Alert Level 4 to keep our team and communities safe," a spokeswoman said.

Health authorities confirmed Thursday a staff member at Countdown Westgate had tested positive for the virus under the Alert Level 4 lockdown. 

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the worker was infected through being part of a cluster within the outbreak rather than being infected "at their place of work through someone else".

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