The reopening of a rat-plagued Dunedin Countdown has been delayed yet again after a rodent was spotted in the store.
Dunedin South Countdown was set to reopen today, but Woolworths New Zealand stores director Jason Stockhill said in a statement that a rodent triggered a camera sighting last night.
“Rentokil reported a rodent gained entry to the store overnight.
“We are discussing this with MPI and will provide an update on reopening when we can.”
New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS) is continuing to monitor progress at the store and are receiving daily updates from Woolworths.
Deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle said a food safety officer is at the store regularly and that NZFS will continue follow-up visits.
"We continue to be satisfied that Woolworths is taking the matter seriously and is putting in place the right measures to manage the problem at the store, including deep cleaning, maintenance, and proactive pest control measures."
The store has been closed for over two weeks due to ongoing rodent issues.
Old rat nests have been found in the wall cladding, and around 26 rats have been captured since February 10.
There has been a spate of recent rodent sightings at supermarkets across New Zealand.
Last week, a rat was filmed crawling along the ground at a West Auckland Pak'n Save.
Meanwhile, a Chinese tourist recorded a small mouse crawling inside a salad at a Christchurch Countdown earlier this month.
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