Covid-19: Northland iwi checkpoints moving further south as Auckland cases surge

Tuesday, 19 October 2021

Tai Tokerau border checkpoints are back following Northland's move to alert level 3. Organisers Rueben Taipari and Pita Tipene explain their importance of keeping the virus out.

Northland iwi checkpoints will be set up south of Whangārei – the southernmost they've been – amid concerns of surging Covid-19 in Auckland.

On Tuesday, Auckland recorded 94 new cases of Covid-19, the largest number of community cases reported in a single day.

Ahead of Northland’s drop to alert level 2 from Tuesday midnight, Tai Tokerau Border Control (TBC) has been talking to hapu south of Whangārei to look at the possibility of setting up patrols in the Waipu area, Rueben Taipari told Stuff.

Earlier in October, two Auckland women, who later tested positive, visited Northland ahead of the region being put into level 3 lockdown.

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Tai Tokerau iwi checkpoints will be set up south of Whangārei, the southernmost its ever been, to protect Northland’s communities from the Auckland outbreak.

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Rueben Taipari, regional co-ordinator of Tai Tokerau Border Control, said its iwi checkpoints will be set up further south as they fear breaches at the Te Hana border.

* Covid-19: Northland iwi-led checkpoints considered, despite threat of arrest

Taipari said the new checkpoints will be the furthest south they’ve been.

“We’re concerned with the Te Hana border being breached… [people] without proper documentation and respect about coming into a Covid-free region.”

Health expert Dr Rawiri Taonui said Auckland’s northern and southern borders need to be strengthened amid the surge in Auckland’s cases.

Taipari said Labour Weekend could also increase risks.

“We need more security and more processes in place,” he said.

Ngati Hine leader Pita Tipene said both the land and coastal borders between Auckland and Northland need to be “really tight” as the region can’t afford to go back to alert level 3.

“We’re the most vulnerable of all [to Covid],” Tipene said.

Seventy per cent of Māori in Northland have received one dose of the Covid vaccine, while just 58 per cent are fully vaccinated.

Health expert Dr Rawiri Taonui said the government should strengthen both Auckland’s northern and southern borders.

Taonui said police should work with iwi checkpoints, so that in the event of a “runway” border breach, there would be more capacity on a wider geographic area.

He said previous experience shows Māori in areas with iwi checkpoints have far less chance of getting Covid-19.

At Tuesday’s media stand-up, Associate Minister of Health Peeni Henare said in the past two weeks, Māori have made up 45.7 per cent of total cases, compared to 28 per cent across the entire outbreak.

The Ministry of Health pointed Stuff to a list of permitted travel across boundaries when asked whether it will strengthen Auckland's border with Northland, with no further detail on plans to strengthen the border.

Police had no further comment on strengthening borders.

As of October 17, 725,209 vehicles have been stopped at Auckland’s checkpoints, with 9459 vehicles turned away.

On Sunday, 56 out of 1766 vehicles were turned away at northern checkpoints, while 84 out of 8492 were turned around at southern checkpoints.