This Friday will mark day 12 of testing for the highly infectious Delta strain of the virus since the first case was found in Auckland, and the Coromandel community is hoping it has dodged a bullet.
Te Korowai Hauora o Hauraki-Coromandel has run nearly 1200 tests, which is 60% of Coromandel's population and chief executive Riana Manuel is keenly awaiting the crucial day 12 test results.
“As we know, there's a really long incubation period for this particular virus and, to be fair, even after the 14-day period, if people are developing symptoms we want to be able to talk to them as well,” she says.
The possibility of community transmission from the Devonport man, Case A, who travelled with his wife 10 days ago put fear into this remote oasis.
So far, it has yet to produce a positive test result.
“I know people are feeling really confident about the fact we've got this far without any case.”
The silver lining for Hauraki is that as of last week Te Korowai Hauora o Hauraki has vaccinated over half its population for the first round in the fight against Delta.
Tests from local wastewater have also come back negative but Manuel doesn't want its community getting too ahead of itself.
“I don't think we ever thought over here on the Coromandel that we would be in a position we would be thinking that we would be so affected. I'm not too sure why because we're a tourist destination, aren't we.”