Hundreds of Pasifika in Warkworth are rushing to get tested and vaccinated after a work location for many in the community was named as an exposure site.
About 100 people work at Southern Paprika, a produce company which was named as an exposure site on Sunday.
The business, which is non-public facing, has been closed for the past few days for deep cleaning and for workers to get tested.
“I know the families that I work with they're very aware and they are following the rules social distancing, wearing masks they’ve been very anxious about this whole scenario,” community support worker Rosanna Ball said.
More than 400 Pasifika live in Warkworth and many more are seasonal workers as far north as Kerikeri.
They are determined to get tested and vaccinated to protect the wider community.
“We believe we are built strong and tough from the island and we believe we will survive - we will but I think we all concerned about the younger generation now we need to get them vaccinated as well and swabbed,” Pasifika community leader Kamarie Loran said.
The wider Warkworth community are also jumping in with offers of support.
“They contacted me and said how can we best help - we've got more and more food coming in and so far it’s been amazing, we're having such a wonderful response to that which makes me very proud of this community,” Ball said.
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