Covid-19 latest, a year since the SkyCity fire, and what to do this long weekend

If this email is not displayed correctly, [click here]( to view an online version. The Malt in Greenhithe has closed after a Covid-19 case visited. Health Minister Chris Hipkins says [there is a “reasonably low risk”]( that a person who has tested positive for Covid-19 was infectious during [a visit to an Auckland pub](. The Malt pub in Greenhithe is at the centre of the situation, which has raised fears of possible community spread of Covid-19. The Auckland Regional Public Health Service has asked those who were at the pub, including staff, between 7.30pm and 10pm on Friday, October 16, to self-isolate and get a test. University of Otago Professor Michael Baker [said it was “very unlikely”]( the person was infectious while at the pub, given the visit came shortly after they were themselves exposed to the virus. However, Baker warned “we can never say never”. Sky City Convention Centre Fire A year ago, a [plume of black smoke rose over Auckland]( as a fire on the roof of the unfinished SkyCity convention centre settled in. Fletcher Construction buildings general manager Gary Walker had [only been in the job a week]( when he learnt about the blaze. In an exclusive interview with Stuff this week, he said he felt terrible as his Uber approached the burning convention centre, the thick smoke towering over the city leaving no doubt as to the gravity of the situation. “I was looking at them seeing all the fear and the vulnerability and the ... worry in their faces," Walker said of his staff. The huge fire burned for several days, [sparking a mammoth firefighting effort]( featuring 130 firefighters and 30 trucks at its peak. Green Party MP Chloe Swarbrick Chloe Swarbrick​ will soon have a new political home in her Auckland Central electorate office. But it’s [people with nowhere to stay who present a major issue]( for the 26-year-old Green MP. Homelessness, green spaces, transportation and inequality are among her priorities. Swarbrick said anyone walking down Karangahape Rd or other major city streets can quickly see the “bald face of inequality and poverty and homelessness”. She is one of [seven newly elected Auckland MPs](. Labour has four new members heading to the Beehive, including in the party’s stronghold of Manurewa and in the traditional blue seat of Upper Harbour, while National won the safe blue North Shore and Botany electorates. Enjoying this email? [Check out Stuff's other daily and weekly newsletters](. John Abbott had his heart shocked up to 50 times Nine months after his heart was shocked up to 50 times, John Abbott still doesn’t like the sound of ambulance sirens. On January 8, the One Tree Hill man woke up feeling “not quite right”, had breakfast and drove himself to a local White Cross emergency clinic. While in the waiting room, Abbott, an otherwise healthy then-59-year-old, went into cardiac arrest – the first of many that morning. St John Ambulance territory manager and intensive care paramedic Mark Deoki said if it weren't for a defibrillator and good CPR, Abott would have died. He believed [Abbott's heart was likely shocked about 50 times](. “He was very lucky.” The grinder machine was imported from Australia. A noisy grinder machine repairing Auckland’s railway tracks overnight is [annoying residents](. State-owned rail operator KiwiRail says noise from the machine reaches 84 decibels, and is comparable to a motorcycle or lawnmower running down the street. Initial works took place on the Onehunga Line from 11pm to 4am, from Friday to Wednesday. An Onehunga resident said she was woken by the grinder machine several times over the weekend. “There was a lot of clanging noises, it sounded like construction but it was just too late at night for it,” she said. More machines will arrive in November to [accelerate the grinding programme](. The Armageddon Expo will go ahead this weekend. Auckland is set to empty out over the long weekend as people embark on getaways. But those remaining in the region will be thoroughly entertained, with plenty of events on the cards. The Museum of Transport and Technology (Motat) will put on a dazzling light spectacle with the return of Night Lights, a show that merges creativity and technology. Tamaki Drive’s famous fountain will be surrounded by 200 stalls for the Mission Bay Art & Craft Market. Meanwhile, more than 60,000 people are expected at [Armageddon Expo](. There'll also be a vintage car display and retro film re-runs this weekend. [Click here]( for the full run-down. You've received this email because you have opted in to receive Auckland news updates from Stuff Did a friend forward this to you? [Sign up to get Auckland News: In case you missed it]( to your inbox [Unsubscribe]( [Newsletter Settings]( [Privacy Policy]( [Advertise]( [Feedback](