Aucklanders are supportive of the prospect of a longer lockdown as new cases continue to erupt during the current Delta outbreak.
Erina Conroy, who's walking her dog Starcey in Manukau, told RNZ she didn't mind staying in Covid-19 level 4 lockdown longer as the priority is to contain the virus. Photo: RNZ / Liu Chen
There were 68 new cases announced today - the largest number of new daily cases in this outbreak.
Covid-19 modeller Shaun Hendy has warned that the outbreak was much larger than initially suspected and significantly worse than what New Zealand experienced last year.
Hendy, who provides advice to the government around where an outbreak might end up, on his first estimate suggested cases would total at about 120, but the number of cases now sits at 277.
He said Auckland could stay in lockdown for multiple weeks, which would be similar to the country's month-long level 4 lockdown last year.
Aucklanders told RNZ they are not worried about a longer lockdown and are more concerned about containing the virus.
A woman taking a walk with her son in Manukau, south Auckland said she wants to keep the community safe.
"I actually don't mind if we go for a month. I've got vulnerable parents and children that I would rather keep safe so I'm not too worried about if we go in for a month. I'd rather keep the community safe and especially those that are vulnerable."
Erina Conroy, out walking her dog Starcey in the neighbourhood in Manukau, agreed.
"I think the more that you stress about the things that you can't do what you want to do ... They're not really a big priority at this time ... It's just everybody's safety as what's really on my mind," she said.
Hope Henare-Wynyard, from the same neighbourhood, stays with her grandmother and said it has been hard that extended family members who often came to visit can't do so, but it's a price worth paying.
"With the amounts of cases we have, I think it's appropriate that we stay in lockdown, and I think we should do whatever it takes for New Zealand to go back to the way it was before this lockdown."
Sixty-eight new cases have been reported today, taking the total number to 277. Of those, 263 are in Auckland, 14 in Wellington.
Auckland will remain at alert level 4 until midnight Tuesday 31 August, with a government review on Monday.
The rest of the country will remain at level 4 until midnight Friday 27 August, with a review tomorrow.