We receive regular communications from the Deputy Director-General | Māori Health Directorate, Ministry of Health and we will use this pānui to share all of this information.
Important:
Please remind your friends and whānau to get information on COVID-19 and the vaccine from our trusted sources – the Ministry of Health website, Unite Against COVID channels, Karawhiua channels, and the Te Puni Kōkiri ‘COVID-19 Information for Māori’ portal. For guidance on protecting yourself and your whānau from COVID-19 misinformation and scams, please visit the Unite Against COVID website.
The latest or most recent update will be at the top and you can scroll down to see previous communications.
Note: This is only for the October-November 2021 COVID-19 Alert Restrictions
Date: 10 November 2021 at 5:44:49 PM NZDT
Subject: COVID-19 Response Update - 147 new cases and another person with COVID-19 has passed away
Kei ngā kākā tarahae o te motu, tēnā anō koutou katoa
We are sadly reporting the sudden death of man in his sixties who had COVID-19. He passed away overnight and was isolating at home in Glen Eden. The cause of death will be investigated by the Coroner, including whether it was COVID-related. Any matenga that could be COVID related are investigated, whether they occur at home or in a hospital setting. My whakaaro are with the whānau of this man who will be grieving during i tēnei wā pōuri nei. Ko rātou te hunga mate ki a rātou, ko tātou te pito ora ki a tātou.
Today, our Director-General provided an update on the modelling he shared at last Monday’s stand-up regarding forecast, case numbers, hospitalisations, and ICU numbers. That modelling had forecast around 200 cases per day by the end of this month in Tāmaki Makaurau.
If we look back at last week’s cases, the modelling was virtually spot on. By the end of November, the modelling predicts around 150 new hospitalisations and 11 ICU admissions each week. It’s important to know the hospitals in Tāmaki Makaurau will have, and do have capacity, so anyone who needs care shouldn’t delay in seeking it – our hospitals are safe. There are more than 1,700 beds across Tāmaki Makaurau and over 100 ICU beds. Heoi anō, we do want to limit the impact of COVID on our health and disability system. There are two things you can do to help. Firstly, please get vaccinated and reminder your whānau and friends to do the same, and please also continue to abide by our Alert Level restrictions. These are working to keep our communities safe. Nā reira e hika mā, kia kaha tonu tātou katoa.
147 new community cases in Aotearoa
· There are a total of 147 new community cases to report in Aotearoa today; 131 of these are in Tāmaki Makaurau, 14 are in Waikato, and two are in Te Tai Tokerau.
· This brings the total number of cases associated with this outbreak to 4,813. Since the outbreak started 1,875 people have recovered giving us an active total of 2,938.
· Of today’s 147 new cases, 84 have already been linked and 63 remain unlinked with investigations ongoing.
· There is also a total of 81 people in hospital with COVID-19. All these people are in Tāmaki Makaurau. Eleven of these people are in either ICU or HDU. Ka mutu, the average age of those in hospital is now 53.
Two new cases in Te Tai Tokerau
· There are two new cases to report in Te Tai Tokerau, both in the same household in Dargaville, with links to known cases.
· One of the cases is a child, which highlights the importance of getting vaccinated to protect our tamariki who aren’t yet eligible to get the vaccine. The more of us who are vaccinated in our community, the greater our immunity.
· We are continuing to urge whānau in Northland with any symptoms of COVID-19 to get tested as soon as possible, especially people living in Dargaville. Testing centre locations can be found on the Northland DHB website.
· In Te Tai Tokerau, 12 cases are currently being supported to isolate at home.
· Hei whakamaumahara, Upper Northland will move to Alert Level 2 from 11:59pm Thursday 11 November.
14 new cases in Waikato
· There are 14 new cases in Waikato being reported today. Of these 10 are from Ōtorohanga – including six people in one household who are known contacts of cases – three from Kirikiriroa and one from Ngāruawāhia.
· There are seven pop-up and dedicated testing sites operating across Waikato today in Kirikiriroa, Ngāruawāhia, Huntly, Ōtorohanga, Te Awamutu, and Te Kuiti.
· There were 2,988 swabs taken in Waikato yesterday and 1,894 doses of vaccine were given.
· Waikato public health staff are supporting 62 people who are considered active cases to safely isolate at home.
Update on our response in Tāmaki Makaurau
· There are 19 community testing centres available for testing across Tāmaki Makaurau today.
· Whānau in Tāmaki Makaurau are encouraged to get a test if they have any symptoms, no matter how mild. Even if people are fully vaccinated, and have been isolating at home, they should still seek out a test if they feel the need.
· There are now 21 residents and four staff members of Edmonton Meadows Care Home in Henderson who have tested positive for COVID-19.
· Seven of the COVID-19 positive residents are receiving appropriate ward-level care at Auckland hospitals. There has been no increase in numbers over the last 24 hours.
· One further resident of Rosaria Rest Home has tested positive for COVI-19 since a resident tested positive for COVID-19 late last week. Results for all residents and staff have now been received and at this stage all others are negative.
· Auckland Regional Public Health Service and Auckland DHB staff are supporting the residents and staff to keep safe at the privately-owned facility.
Date: 8 November 2021 at 6:36:27 PM NZDT
Subject: COVID-19 Response Update - Alert Level settings will change for Tāmaki Makaurau and Upper Northland this week
Kei aku whatukura, kei aku mâreikura, tēnā anō koutou katoa.
Cabinet met today to discuss Alert Level settings in Tāmaki Makaurau and Te Tai Tokerau. Last week, Cabinet made an in-principle decision to move Tāmaki Makaurau to Alert Level 3, Step 2. Today, Cabinet has confirmed that decision to ease restrictions in Tāmaki Makaurau from 11.59pm tomorrow night. This will bring Tāmaki Makaurau and Waikato into alignment. You can read more about Step 2 of Alert Level 3 on the Unite Against COVID website.
The Prime Minister also mentioned today that based on current projections, Tāmaki Makaurau is on track to make the 90% fully vaccinated target this month. There’s also a strong expectation Tāmaki Makaurau will move into the new COVID-19 Protection Framework following their November 29 check-in. Moving to the new framework will mean certainty for our whānau in Tāmaki Makaurau – it will mean all businesses can open and operate, it’ll also mean we can continue to manage cases as safely as possible, but differently. I want to thank all our kaimahi hauora and whānau in Tāmaki Makaurau for getting us to this point, e mihi kau ana.
For Te Tai Tokerau, Cabinet has agreed to move Upper Northland back to Alert Level 2 on 11.59pm Thursday 11 November. We’ve seen very high testing rates in the Far North, tripling in the past seven days, and over 10% of the population has been tested. Although additional cases are coming through, we’re confident these can be managed through ongoing testing and contact tracing. That’s why Cabinet has made the decision to shift the rohe on Thursday to give extra time for that significant mahi to occur. Again, I want to thank our kaimahi hauora and whānau in the Far North for giving us the confidence to make this shift, mei kore ake koutou katoa.
Cabinet will meet again next Monday 15th of November to consider the Alert Level settings in Waikato. I’ll make sure to keep you updated on their decision.
190 new community cases in Aotearoa
· There are a total of 190 new community cases to report in Aotearoa today; 182 of these are in Tāmaki Makaurau, seven are in Waikato, and one is in Te Tai Tokerau.
· This brings the total number of cases associated with this outbreak to 4,541. Since the outbreak started 1,823 people have recovered giving us an active total of 2,718.
· Of today’s 190 new cases, 80 have already been linked and 110 remain unlinked with investigations ongoing.
· There is also a total of 81 people in hospital with COVID-19. All these people are in Tāmaki Makaurau except for one case who is in Whangarei. Seven of these people are in either ICU or HDU. Ka mutu, the average age of those in hospital is 51.
Auckland Hospital patient death
· Sadly, today we have been informed of the death of a patient on Saturday at Auckland City Hospital.
· The patient, who was in their late-60s, was admitted to hospital on 23 October for a trauma incident and tested positive on admission.
· The cause of the person’s death will be determined by the coroner, including whether it may have been COVID-19 related.
· This person’s death has not been officially reported as it is still under investigation.
· My thoughts are with the patient’s whānau and friends at this deeply sad time. Mā te Atua Matua rātou e tiaki, e poipoi i tēnei wā taumaha hārukiruki.
Seven new cases in Waikato
· There were seven new cases confirmed in Waikato overnight, four in Te Awamutu and three in Kirikiriroa.
· Six were known contacts already in isolation. Public Health will today investigate links for the remaining case.
· There is one case in Waikato Hospital for a non-COVID-19 related condition.
· There are six pop-up and dedicated testing sites operating across Kirikiriroa, Huntly, Ōtorohanga, and Te Kuiti today. The Te Awamutu site is closed today as the station is relocated and will be open again from tomorrow.
· There were also 10 location of interests identified in Kirikiriroa yesterday.
Five new cases in Te Tai Tokerau
· There are five new cases to report in Te Tai Tokerau today. Four of the cases were notified after the Ministry’s 9am reporting cut-off and will be added to the official case tally tomorrow.
· The total number of cases in Te Tai Tokerau is now 23 which includes 12 active cases and 11 recovered cases. Four cases are linked to known cases and public health interviews with the fifth case were yet to be completed, as at 12pm today.
· We are continuing to encourage those who live in or around Taipa, Kaingaroa, Awanui and Kaitaia and have had any symptoms of COVID-19 in the last two weeks, to get tested as soon as possible. Testing centre locations can be found on the Northland DHB website.
· Today, we’re also reporting the first COVID-19 related hospitalisation in Te Tai Tokerau linked to the current outbreak. The hospitalisation is another reminder for all our eligible whānau in the north to get vaccinated.
Update on our response in Tāmaki Makaurau
· We’re continuing to encourage everyone in Tāmaki Makaurau to please get a test if they have any symptoms, no matter how mild. Even if people are fully vaccinated, and have been isolating at home, please seek out a test if you feel the need.
· Suburbs of particular concern, where the risk of unidentified cases is higher, include Rānui, Sunnyvale, Kelston, Birkdale, Manurewa and Māngere.
· In metro Tāmaki Makaurau, 1,886 individuals are now being supported to safely isolate at home; this includes 816 cases across 661 whare.
Sent: Saturday, November 6, 2021 6:55 PM
Subject: COVID-19 Response Update - 206 new cases and an update on our response across the motu
Tēnā anō koutou katoa e aku rangatira hauora o te motu.
We are now in the 12th weekend of this latest outbreak and I hope you’re all finding time to recuperate with your whānau and friends. I know the past three months have been difficult – we’ve faced many piki and heke as we continue to fight for the health and well-being of our people. Despite the many challenges, our Māori health providers and kaimahi hauora Māori have remained resolute, dedicated in their mission to protect whānau Māori. Nā reira, I want to thank each of you for the mahi you’ve put in during this time. Heoi anō, our work is not yet done. We still have more to do if we want to ensure our communities stay safe from COVID-19.
The 206 community cases numbers reported today are a reminder of the infectiousness of COVID-19, and particularly the Delta variant, and the importance of vaccination as the number one protection against the virus. So, today, as we mark three weeks since Super Saturday, I want to encourage each of you to keep up the good mahi by reminding your whānau and friends to book in for their first or second dose as soon as possible. There are some great events on around the motu such as Auckland’s GotYaDot vaccine event at Eden Park and the Ethkick event targeting ethnic communities in the Bay of Plenty today. Please share these events with your networks so as many people as possible know about them and can attend. I’m hoping the extra push over this weekend will bring us even closer to reaching our target of getting 90% of all eligible people in each DHB fully vaccinated. Kia kaha tonu tātou katoa.
206 new community cases in Aotearoa
There are a total of 206 new community cases to report in Aotearoa today. This is the highest daily toll in Aotearoa since the pandemic began. Of these, 200 are in Tāmaki Makaurau, four are in Waikato, and two are in Te Tai Tokerau.
This brings the total number of cases associated with this outbreak to 4,240. Since the outbreak started 1,755 people have recovered giving us an active total of 2,485.
Of today’s 206 new cases, 47 have already been linked and 159 remain unlinked with investigations ongoing.
There is also a total of 73 people in hospital with COVID-19. Seven of these people are in either ICU or HDU.
Positive waste-water detections in Stratford, Gisborne, and Napier
Following the positive waste-water detections in Stratford, Gisborne and Napier, further samples will be collected over the next few days with results expected next week.
At this stage, the detections are not linked to any known cases of COVID-19 which could indicate that there are undetected cases in these communities.
We are asking our whānau with any symptoms in these places – no matter how mild – to get tested, especially anyone who has travelled outside of these regions recently.
Testing is available at the following locations this weekend:
Stratford: The War Memorial car park, 55 Miranda Street (10am to 2pm)
Gisborne: 110 Peel Street (9am to 5pm)
Napier: 30 Munroe Street (9am-5pm)
If you live in Stratford, Gisborne or Napier and haven’t been vaccinated, today is a good opportunity to do so. For a full list of testing and vaccination centres, see the Healthpoint website.
For whānau who attended a tangihanga in Porirua this week
Wellington Regional Public Health are encouraging all our whānau who attended a tangihanga in Porirua on Wednesday this week to get tested for COVID-19.
Their assessment is that the risks to wider public are low following reports of a person who had tested positive in Tāmaki Makaurau last month and who travelled from Tāmaki Makaurau to Porirua. They are assessed as unlikely to have been infectious as they travelled at the very end of their 14-day quarantine period.
However, in the absence of fuller information, they are recommending those linked with the tangihanga to be tested, particularly if they have symptoms.
The Ministry of Health is seeking more information to provide further reassurance that the case was not an infection risk while visiting the area. I’ll make sure to keep you updated via this pānui as new information arises.
Four new cases in Waikato
There were four new cases confirmed in Waikato overnight, all from Kirikiriroa. Two were known contacts already in isolation and Public Health is investigating links for the other two cases.
One COVID-19 patient who had been staying at Waikato Hospital was discharged yesterday. Two new patients were admitted overnight. This change will be reflected in tomorrow’s figures.
Today there are eight pop-up and dedicated testing sites operating across Kirikiriroa, Huntly, Ōtorohanga, Te Awamutu, Te Kuiti, and Thames. We are encouraging anyone with COVID-19 symptoms to seek a test.
Two new cases in Te Tai Tokerau
There are two new community cases confirmed in Te Tai Tokerau, taking the total number of cases in the region to 17. They are both close contacts of cases in Kaitaia and have been isolating at home.
Today there are six community testing centres and nine vaccination clinics available across the rohe.
We are continuing to encourage whānau who live in or around Taipa, Kaingaroa, Awanui and Kaitaia and have had symptoms of COVID-19 in the last couple of weeks, to get tested as soon as possible. Testing centre locations can be found on the Northland DHB website.
Date: 5 November 2021 at 8:55:36 PM NZDT Subject: COVID-19 Response Update for 5 November 2021 [UNCLASSIFIED] COVID-19 Response Update for 5 November 2021 This update shares key information about the Government’s response to Covid-19. It is intended to provide consistent information across central government, local government, CDEM and our key partners. You are welcome to share this update with others. If you would like to subscribe to receive these updates, please let us know. Key things to note: · There are 69 people currently in hospitals across New Zealand with COVID-19. 68 are in the Auckland region, one is in the Waikato. Six are in high dependency or intensive care units. · There are 163 new community cases; 159 in Auckland and four in the Waikato. There are 2 new cases at the border. · A new drug has been secured to treat COVID-19. · Information on the deaths of two people with COVID-19 in home isolation. · Changes in reporting of locations of interest in Auckland. · Dates on the next round of business support. · 3 weeks since Super Saturday. · Progress on vaccination rates. · For more information on all of these key points, visit Unite Against COVID-19 and the resources listed at the bottom of this email. A new drug has been secured to treat COVID-19 · Pharmac has secured a fifth drug to treat the symptoms of COVID-19. · The new drug is called Baricitinib. It can be used to treat patients who are very sick, as it reduces the severity of symptoms, cuts time in hospital and reduces the likelihood of death. · Pharmac expects to receive 500 doses of Baricitinib this month. Information on the deaths of two people with COVID-19 in home isolation · A second person isolating at home with COVID-19 has passed away. · St John’s attended a call this morning (5 November) in Mt Eden and found the person deceased on arrival. · The man in his fifties is understood to have been recently treated in hospital. · Health authorities will be working with Police and Ambulance to review the circumstances around the death. · This death and one recorded earlier in the week are both being investigated as part of a wider review of the home isolation of COVID-19 patients. · It is not clear if either of these deaths were related to the individuals’ COVID-19 infections. · Both deaths will be examined by the coroner to determine the cause of death. Changes in reporting of locations of interest in Auckland · The Ministry of Health has shifted the approach for reporting locations in Auckland where people with COVID-19 have been. These changes are due to the number of new and active community cases of COVID-19 in Auckland. · High-risk events are now going to be reported, but not locations where the risk of spread is very low, such as drive-throughs and supermarkets. · The Ministry will continue to publish casual exposure events in other parts of New Zealand. Dates on the next round of business support · The seventh round of the Wage Subsidy opens on Friday, November 12. · Also opening that day is the first double payment of the Resurgence Support Payment. That payment will be at a rate of $3000 and $800 per FTE up to a maximum of $43,000. 3 weeks since Super Saturday · This Saturday, 6 November will be three weeks since Super Saturday. · Anyone who received their first dose on Super Saturday will be eligible to get their second dose. Progress on vaccination rates · High vaccination rates will allow New Zealand to transition to the new COVID-19 Protection Framework. · Auckland needs 90% of eligible people in each of its three DHBs to be fully vaccinated before transitioning. As of Thursday 4 November: - Waitematā DHB – 82% fully vaccinated - Auckland DHB – 86% fully vaccinated - Counties Manukau DHB – 79% fully vaccinated · 77% of eligible people in New Zealand are fully vaccinated. · 55% of the total eligible Māori population are fully vaccinated. · 71% of the total eligible Pacific population are fully vaccinated. · Breakdowns by DHB are available on the Ministry of Health website. Stand-up and press releases · 1pm update: o Today’s media conference can be found here. · Ministry of Health daily media releases: o Over 26,000 vaccines given yesterday; 69 in hospital; 163 community cases is attached. o Technical information published to support COVID-19 Vaccine Pass and verifiers is attached. · MIQ PR: o Absconding incidents at Auckland and Hamilton quarantine facilities is attached. Resources and information · Today’s grid and FAQ’s from DPMC containing detailed messaging of the above is attached · COVID-19 Resource Toolkit pilot: o To use the toolkit you need to create a free account. You can then use the toolkit to search and easily download COVID-19 branded assets and resources o Alert Level 2 resources o Alert Level 3 resources o Any feedback or suggestions can be emailed to COVID19Brand@dpmc.govt.nz · Translated information is available in 26 languages · Information is available in 5 alternate formats · Videos on the following topics are now available in Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Punjabi and te reo Māori on the Unite Against COVID-19 website: o Information about the COVID-19 vaccine o Getting your COVID-19 vaccine o Wearing a facemask o How contact tracing works o Bluetooth tracing · The final episode of NZ Vaccine Facts (featuring the voice of Jim Moriarty) is available at: Covid19.govt.nz/VaccineFacts. Each episode features an engaging relatable character with easy to understand language – and each episode presents with a gentle and encouraging warmth. Made especially to help lessen the understandable unease and fears held by parts of our communities, NZ Vaccine Facts is suitable for education, local government and business purposes. The episodes are: o COVID-19 and why vaccinations are important o What is a virus and how do vaccines work? o What is an mRNA vaccine? o Do vaccines work when a virus changes? o Are vaccines safe? o What are the benefits of vaccination o How to get a vaccine and are there side effects? o What else can we do to protect ourselves and others? · For more information: o Unite Against COVID-19 § Website § Regional advice for Northland, Auckland and parts of Waikato § Facebook § Instagram § Twitter o The Ministry of Health § Website § Locations of interest § COVID-19 current cases Date: 2 November 2021 at 8:09:23 PM NZDT Subject: COVID-19 Response Update for 2 November 2021 [UNCLASSIFIED] COVID-19 Response Update for 2 November 2021 This update shares key information about the Government’s response to Covid-19. It is intended to provide consistent information across central government, local government, CDEM and our key partners. You are welcome to share this update with others. If you would like to subscribe to receive these updates, please let us know. Key things to note: · There are 49 people currently in hospitals across New Zealand with COVID-19. 48 are in the Auckland region, one is in the Waikato. Three are in high dependency or intensive care units. · There are 126 new community cases; 107 in Auckland, 18 in the Waikato and one in Northland. There are three new cases at the border. · Upper parts of Northland to move to Alert Level 3 at 11.59pm tonight. · Advice for people in upper Northland. · Guidance for travel in Northland. · Auckland and parts of the Waikato will move to Alert Level 3, Step 2. · Progress on vaccination rates. · For more information on all of these key points, visit Unite Against COVID-19 and the resources listed at the bottom of this email. Upper parts of Northland to move to Alert Level 3 at 11.59pm tonight · Following two unlinked community cases reported in Taipa in the far north, the region will move to Alert Level 3 from 11:59 tonight. · Today’s case is a household contact of a case reported yesterday (1 November), both cases are unlinked to the other cases in Northland at this stage and brings the total number in the region to 14, with three people now recovered. · Extensive case interviews and contact tracing over the past 24 to 48 hours haven’t been able to find a link with the other cases in Northland. · A boundary will run through the centre of the Hokianga Harbour to the Mangamuka Junction on SH 1 to the Kaeo River Bridge on SH 10 and East Bay to prevent any potential spread. · Below this boundary line the rest of Northland will stay at Alert Level 2. · Vaccination rates for Northland are currently at 79% for first dose and 65% second dose. These rates are still not high enough to be confident that communities could be sufficiently protected in the case of a wider outbreak. · Cabinet will review the Alert Level 3 settings in Northland on Monday 8 November. Advice for people in upper Northland · Contact tracing and public health interviews are underway to identify any locations of interest and close contacts, and Northlanders are urged to check the Ministry of Health website for updates on locations of interest. · People must stay home, monitor for symptoms and get tested if feeling unwell. Stay in your bubble, wear a face covering and use the NZ COVID Tracer App to record any movements. · If you have had your first shot already, you can get your second shot after 3 weeks. · If you have any symptoms of COVID-19, even if these are mild, get tested as soon as possible. Guidance for travel in Northland · People can travel in and out of the Northland Alert Level 3 area for limited permitted reasons. This includes for work in permitted business and services. · People can also cross into the Northland Alert Level 3 area from an Alert Level 2 area to work in any business or service which is open in the Alert Level 3 area and travel home again. · However people can only cross from the Northland Alert Level 3 area to work in an Alert Level 2 area for work in permitted businesses and services. · If you are travelling in and out of the Northland Alert Level 3 area you are not required to provide evidence of a recent test. · A formal business travel document is not required however we recommend people source a letter from their employer confirming place of work and need to travel · More information and travel advice is available on the Unite Against COVID-19 website. Auckland and parts of the Waikato will move to Alert Level 3, Step 2 · Parts of Waikato currently in Alert Level 3, Step 1 will move to Alert Level 3, Step 2 from 11:59pm tonight, Tuesday 2 November. · It is intended that Auckland will move to Alert Level 3, Step 2 from 11:59pm, Tuesday 9 November. This will be reviewed on Monday, 8 November, subject to health advice. · Under Alert Level 3, Step 2, retail and public facilities can reopen with physical distancing and mask wearing. · Gyms, recreation centres and pools remain closed as wearing a face covering isn’t always practical at these places. · For outdoor gatherings, the upper limit on numbers increases to 25 people. · Face coverings and physical distancing remain vital measures for stopping the spread of the virus, along with scanning in and keeping up good handwashing and hygiene measures. Progress on vaccination rates · High vaccination rates will allow New Zealand to transition to the new COVID-19 Protection Framework. · Auckland needs 90% of eligible people in each of its three DHBs to be fully vaccinated before transitioning. As of Monday 1 November: - Waitematā DHB – 81% fully vaccinated - Auckland DHB – 85% fully vaccinated - Counties Manukau DHB – 78% fully vaccinated · 76% of eligible people in New Zealand are fully vaccinated. · 53% of the total eligible Māori population are fully vaccinated. · 69% of the total eligible Pacific population are fully vaccinated. · Breakdowns by DHB are available on the Ministry of Health website. Stand-up and press releases · 5:30pm update: o Today’s media conference can be found here. · Ministry of Health daily media releases: o More than 27,000 vaccines administered yesterday; 49 in hospital; 126 community cases is attached. · Beehive PR: o Northern parts of Northland to move ot Alert Level 3 is attached. Resources and information · Today’s grid and FAQ’s from DPMC containing detailed messaging of the above is attached · COVID-19 Resource Toolkit pilot: o To use the toolkit you need to create a free account. You can then use the toolkit to search and easily download COVID-19 branded assets and resources o Alert Level 2 resources o Alert Level 3 resources o Any feedback or suggestions can be emailed to COVID19Brand@dpmc.govt.nz · Translated information is available in 26 languages · Information is available in 5 alternate formats · Videos on the following topics are now available in Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Punjabi and te reo Māori on the Unite Against COVID-19 website: o Information about the COVID-19 vaccine o Getting your COVID-19 vaccine o Wearing a facemask o How contact tracing works o Bluetooth tracing · The final episode of NZ Vaccine Facts (featuring the voice of Jim Moriarty) is available at: Covid19.govt.nz/VaccineFacts. Each episode features an engaging relatable character with easy to understand language – and each episode presents with a gentle and encouraging warmth. Made especially to help lessen the understandable unease and fears held by parts of our communities, NZ Vaccine Facts is suitable for education, local government and business purposes. The episodes are: o COVID-19 and why vaccinations are important o What is a virus and how do vaccines work? o What is an mRNA vaccine? o Do vaccines work when a virus changes? o Are vaccines safe? o What are the benefits of vaccination o How to get a vaccine and are there side effects? o What else can we do to protect ourselves and others? · For more information: o Unite Against COVID-19 § Website § Regional advice for Northland, Auckland and parts of Waikato § Facebook § Instagram § Twitter o The Ministry of Health § Website § Locations of interest § COVID-19 current cases Date: 30 October 2021 at 6:38:42 PM NZDT Subject: COVID-19 Response Update - 160 new community cases today in Aotearoa Kei ngā kaihoe o te waka hauora Māori e whakarewa ana i a tātou ki te Pae Ora, nei au ka mihi ake ki a koutou katoa. As we rest and reflect with our whānau and friends this weekend, I begin my pānui by acknowledging the awesome mahi everyone has done and continues to do during this period – ka nui te mihi! Inanahi, several vaccine milestones were reached with 91 per cent of people over 30 having had, or booked, their first dose. Counties Manukau is now about 7,000 doses short of reaching 90 per cent coverage for first doses, meaning all three DHBs in Tāmaki Makaurau should cross this threshold in the next few days. Kia kaha tonu koutou! Heoi anō, as we push for a 90% vaccination rate and strive to shift COVID-19 case numbers down, I encourage you to continue to sign-in, use hand sanitiser, and practise social distancing whilst out and about in your community - we have a responsibility to look after each other whānau. And as always, continue to stay home and get tested if you’re māuiui, wear your face covering when out and about, keep track of where you’ve been, and be kind to one another at this challenging time. If you need a reminder of your current Alert Level settings, please visit the Unite Against COVID website. 160 new community cases in Aotearoa · There are a total of 160 new community cases to report in Aotearoa today; 151 of these are in Tāmaki Makaurau, seven are in Waikato, one in Ōtautahi, and one new case in Te Tai Tokerau. · This brings the total number of cases associated with this outbreak to 3,205. Since the outbreak started 1,565 people have recovered giving us an active total of 1,640. · Of today’s 160 new cases, 65 have already been linked, including 38 household contacts, and 95 remain under investigation. · Regarding hospitalisations, there is a total of 47 cases in hospital with COVID-19. Two of these people are in either ICU or HDU, which is two less than yesterday. My whakaaro continue to be with these people and their whānau during this stressful time, no reira, mā te Atua koutou e manaaki, e tiaki hoki i ngâ wâ katoa. One new case in Ōtautahi · The new case in Ōtautahi recently travelled into Aotearoa from overseas and had multiple negative tests in MIQ in Tāmaki Makaurau (including a Day 12 test) before being released and travelling to Ōtautahi. · They reported as being fully vaccinated but on Thursday, had another test, which returned a positive result last night. · The person is now self-isolating in Ōtautahi, pending further tests. · Nō reira, he inoi tēnei ki a koutou, especially whānau in Ōtautahi with any symptoms no matter how mild - please get tested. Update on our response in Tāmaki Makaurau · Tāmaki Makaurau continues to remain focused on testing in areas identified as having higher positivity rates, where the risk of unidentified cases is higher. · Our Public Health Staff are asking people in the suburbs of Redvale, Rosedale, New Lynn, Wiri, Drury, Henderson, and Manurewa with symptoms to get tested – no matter how mild their symptoms may be. The same advice is urged towards people who are vaccinated too. · There are 16 community testing centres available for testing across Tāmaki Makaurau today. Up-to-date information on testing locations in Tāmaki Makaurau can be found via this link: Auckland Regional Public Health Service. · After further testing at Edmonton Meadows retirement village in Henderson, an additional seven residents and one staff member have been confirmed as having COVID-19 – bringing the total number of cases at the home to nine. · It’s important to note that there are high levels of vaccination among residents of the home, and all staff are fully vaccinated. Seven new cases in Waikato · Two of the seven new cases in the Waikato today are from Kāwhia. They were reported in yesterday’s 1pm update but have been added to today’s official case numbers. · The remaining five cases are from Kirkiriroa (three) the Te Awamutu/Kihikihi area (one) and Ōtorohanga (one). · All are in isolation with public health oversight. · There is a pop-up testing centre in Kāwhia at Maketu Marae that will operate for the next three days from 11am to 3pm daily. · Anyone in the Kāwhia area with symptoms, even if they are mild and they are vaccinated, are urged to get tested. · Please see the Waikato DHB website for location details and the Healthpoint website for all other testing providers. One new case in Te Tai Tokerau which remains at Alert Level 2 · There have been four new cases over the past 24 hours. · However, today we are officially reporting just one of these cases, as one was recorded in yesterday’s numbers, initially as a Tāmaki Makaurau case and subsequently reclassified as a Te Tai Tokerau case. A further two have been reported to the Ministry after 9am today and those two will be officially added to the tally tomorrow. · Today’s four new cases are in the same household in southern Kaipara and investigations are continuing to determine further details and potential links. · Testing and vaccination rates yesterday remained relatively steady, and we are encouraging anyone in the region who has symptoms to get a test. Testing over the weekend will be available at the following locations: o Kaitaia – Kaitaia Hospital – open til 2pm o Kerikeri – 1 Sammaree Place – open til 4pm o Ôhaeawai – Ôhaeawai Rugby Clubrooms – open til 5pm o Kaiwaka – Three Furlongs Bar & Grill – open til 2pm · Whangârei – 20 Winger Crescent – open til 4pm Update on Tonga · Four household contacts have now been identified for the person who was reported as testing positive for COVID-19 in Tonga yesterday, after travelling to Tonga from Christchurch on Wednesday 27 October. · The case returned a negative pre-departure test before leaving New Zealand. They are fully vaccinated with the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine. · The household contacts include two people who remain in Christchurch, and two people who travelled from Christchurch to Wellington on Tuesday 26 October. All contacts have been contacted by public health officials, been told to self-isolate and get tested. · Anyone with symptoms is asked to please get tested and reminded to get vaccinated today if they have not already. Testing locations in the Wellington region can be found at Capital and Coast DHBand Hutt Valley DHB. · The Ministry, along with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, continues to work with officials in Tonga to confirm the case. Date: 26 October 2021 at 6:38:05 PM NZDT Subject: COVID-19 Response Update - 79 new cases and an update on Tāmaki Makaurau, Waikato, and Northland Kei aku mumu hauora Māori huri noa i te motu whānui, nei rā te mihi maioha ki a koutou katoa. I hope you’ve all had a wonderful long weekend and have managed to get some down time with your whānau and friends. As I’ve said regularly throughout this outbreak, it’s critical we take time when we can to rest, relax, and recover. The journey ahead is long and will require concentrated effort from everyone in our health and disability system if we are to keep our people safe. Heoi anō, now that we’re recuperated and are ready for another week ahead, let’s keep up the good mahi and maintain the gains we’ve made throughout the past few months. In other news, Cabinet decided today that vaccinations will be mandated for everyone who works in workplace where a vaccine certificate is required for entry. In the COVID-19 Protection Framework this includes hospitality, events, gyms, and close-proximity businesses such as hairdressers and barbers. The timing of this coming into force will depend on when we move to the new Protection Framework. Cabinet will continue to work with the relevant stakeholders and groups to get this right and I’ll make sure to keep you updated. We want everyone to move into the COVID-19 Protection Framework as soon as possible; it’s the best way to give certainty to our whānau and communities. With summer quickly approaching, we need to increase our vaccination rates to prevent future lock-downs and the use of strict Alert Level restrictions. You can help us do that by getting vaccinated as soon as possible and encouraging your whānau to do the same. Please also continue to uphold our tikanga hauora and Alert Level restrictions. These are all working to keep our people safe. Nā reira, kia mau tonu tātou ki ēnei tikanga hauora me ēnei tikanga haumaru hei oranga mō te iwi Māori me te motu whānui. 79 new community cases in Aotearoa including four in Waikato · There are a total of 79 new community cases to report in Aotearoa today; 75 of these are in Tāmaki Makaurau and four are in Waikato. · This brings the total number of cases associated with this latest outbreak to 2,759. Since the outbreak started 1,548 people have recovered giving us an active total of 1,211. · Of today’s 79 new cases, 46 have already been linked, including 24 household contacts, and 33 remain unlinked, with investigations continuing to determine their connection to the outbreak. · Today, there are 37 people in hospital with COVID-19. Five of these people are in either ICU or HDU. · The average age of our current cases in hospital is 45, however over the past fortnight the average age of hospitalisations is 38. This reflects a trend of younger hospitalisations overall, with only six percent of the 372 hospital admissions in this outbreak being amongst the 65 and over age group. No new cases in Te Tai Tokerau which remains at Alert Level 2 · There are no new confirmed cases of COVID-19 to report in Te Tai Tokerau, with cases in the rohe, associated with this outbreak, remaining at seven. · However, people living in the rohe are urged to remain vigilant and get tested if they have any symptoms that could be COVID-19. · We’re also asking whānau in Te Tai Tokerau to continue monitoring the Ministry’s locations of interest webpage, which is updated regularly, with initial locations in the region already confirmed. Anyone who visited these locations of interest at the specified times is asked to monitor their symptoms for 14 days and if any develop, get tested and stay at home until a negative test result is received and they have been symptom-free for 24 hours. · Hei whakamaumahara noa, locations of interest are deep cleaned to ensure there is no ongoing risk of transmission from the premise. · As an additional precaution, we’re recommending everyone wears face coverings in public areas, washes their hands regularly, uses the NZ COVID Tracer app to keep track of everywhere they go, and get vaccinated if they haven’t already. · Testing and vaccination sites across Te Tai Tokerau can be found on the Northland DHB website. Update on our response in Tâmaki Makaurau · Public health officials in Tāmaki Makaurau continue to urge residents of the North Shore suburbs of Redvale and Rosedale to get tested as soon as possible even if they only have mild symptoms of COVID-19 and are vaccinated. · This follows high positivity rates of more than 6 percent in Redvale and 3.8 percent in Rosedale. · This testing will help provide assurance that any undetected spread of COVID-19 in these communities is identified as quickly as possible. · New Lynn and Bayswater are no longer specific areas of concern however whānau in these areas are urged to be vigilant for symptoms and get tested no matter how mild. · All testing locations can be found on the Healthpoint website. Four new cases in Waikato · The four new cases in Waikato today were all expected and linked and were in isolation throughout their infectious period. These new cases are all in the Te Awamutu/Kihikihi area and currently isolating at home with public health support. · This brings total cases for Waikato during this outbreak to 91, with six cases for which epidemiological links remain under investigation. · Waikato DHB is continuing to carry out testing throughout the rohe, to help determine any undetected community spread of COVID-19. · Two bakeries have been added as locations of interest in Tokoroa, connected with the person who stayed at a residential address overnight in the town before flying to Blenheim from Rotorua Airport. · Anyone in Waikato - in particular, people in Te Awamutu and Ōtorohanga – is urged to get tested if they have any symptoms that could be COVID-19. · Testing locations can be viewed on the Healthpoint and Waikato DHB websites. Date: 26 October 2021 at 7:36:20 PM NZDT Subject: COVID-19 Response Update for 26 October 2021 [UNCLASSIFIED] COVID-19 Response Update for 26 October 2021 This update shares key information about the Government’s response to Covid-19. It is intended to provide consistent information across central government, local government, CDEM and our key partners. You are welcome to share this update with others. If you would like to subscribe to receive these updates, please let us know. Key things to note: · There are 79 new community cases; 75 in Auckland and four in the Waikato. There is one new case at the border. · There are 37 people currently in hospitals with COVID-19. All are in the Auckland region. Four are in high dependency or intensive care units. · Government backs business to vaccinate workforces. · Mandatory vaccinations required for health and disability, and prison sector workers. · Progress on vaccination rates across Auckland. · $4.4 million for WorkSafe to extend its current COVID-19 compliance work. · For more information on all of these key points, visit Unite Against COVID-19 and the resources listed at the bottom of this email. Government backs business to vaccinate workforces · A law change is being introduced to provide a clear, risk-based assessment process for businesses, as to whether they can require vaccinations of staff. · The risk assessment will look at various factors, including who staff interact with in their work, and proximity of contact with those people. · The assessment will build on guidance provided by WorkSafe, with input from public health officials, business representatives and unions. · A new Government mandate will be required for workers in businesses where customers need to show COVID-19 Vaccination Certificates, such as hospitality and close-contact businesses. · If people choose not to be vaccinated and their work requires it, a new four-week paid notice period will apply if they are terminated. · These changes are intended to be in place by December. Mandatory vaccinations for health and disability workers · The date by which health and disability sector workers need to have received their first vaccination dose, has changed to 15 November 2021. · Second doses are required by 1 January 2022. · This change brings the requirements into line with workers in the education sector. Mandatory vaccinations for prison workers · Prison facilities have been included in a new Public Health Order, mandating vaccinations for staff in specific sectors. · The order applies to prison staff, health care staff working in prisons, psychologists (working in prisons), and others contracted to provide services to this setting. · Staff working in prisons who are covered by the mandate will need to have their first dose by 6 November and their second dose by 8 December. Progress on vaccination rates to allow transition to the new COVID-19 Protection Framework · Auckland needs 90% of eligible people in each of its three DHBs to be fully vaccinated to move to the new COVID-19 Protection Framework. As of Monday, 25 October: - Waitematā DHB – 76% fully vaccinated - Auckland DHB – 81% fully vaccinated - Counties Manukau DHB – 73% fully vaccinated · 90% of the total eligible population in Auckland have received their first dose (all DHBs combined). · 71% of eligible people in New Zealand are fully vaccinated. · Breakdowns by DHB are available on the Ministry of Health website. Additional funding for WorkSafe to extend its COVID-19 work · Cabinet has agreed to provide $4.4 million for WorkSafe to extend its current COVID-19 compliance work. · The funding will allow WorkSafe to undertake more proactive work, using a mix of education, engagement and enforcement interventions. Information about the new COVID-19 Protection Framework · High vaccination rates mean New Zealand can take a new approach to managing COVID-19 with fewer restrictions and less reliance on lockdowns. · New Zealand will move to the new COVID-19 Protection Framework when 90% of the eligible population is fully vaccinated across each DHB. · Auckland will be able to transition when 90% of eligible Aucklanders in each of the city’s three DHBs have been fully vaccinated. · The new framework has three levels: Green, Orange and Red: o Green is when there could be some COVID-19 in the community but at low levels. At Green, fully vaccinated people can enjoy all events, hospitality and gatherings by showing a vaccination certificate. o Orange is when there is increasing community transmission with increasing pressure on the health system. At Orange, everything remains open for people with vaccination certificates. o Red is when the virus is spreading in a way that means there’s a need to take action to protect vulnerable people in a community and prevent pressure on the health system. At Red, there will be additional restrictions, but these will be greater for people without a vaccination certificate. · Vaccination certificates will provide greater freedoms at each level. There will be extra public health precautions built in at higher levels to minimise the impact of COVID-19 and spread. · Businesses that provide services only to vaccinated people can operate at every level of the new framework and without any restrictions at Green and Orange. · Cabinet will review vaccination progress on November 29. · More information on the new framework is available at https://covid19.govt.nz/alert-levels-and-updates/covid-19-protection/ · See the Friday 22 October update for Information Pack materials attached. New funding to help businesses transition to the new COVID-19 protection framework · Funding of up to $940 million per fortnight will be available as part of the Government’s support package for businesses impacted by COVID-19. · Resurgence Support Payments (RSPs) will be doubled for businesses affected by higher alert levels, as the country transitions to the new COVID-19 Protection Framework. · Ministers have also agreed a $60 million package for business advice and mental health support to help Auckland businesses through the transitional period. · As part of the package, $10 million will be available for mental health and wellbeing support through a programme to be designed with the EMA and Auckland Business Chamber of Commerce. Stand-up and press releases · 4.00pm update o Today’s media conference can be found here. · Ministry of Health daily media releases: o 79 community cases of COVID-19; 1 case at the border is attached · Ministry of Health Vaccination Webinar this Fri 29 October - Addressing vaccine hesitancy in the workplace – a webinar for people managers and leaders, is from 1:30- 2:30pm. Link to Microsoft Teams meeting is in attached email Resources and information · Today’s grid and FAQ’s from DPMC containing detailed messaging of the above is attached · COVID-19 Resource Toolkit pilot: o To use the toolkit you need to create a free account. You can then use the toolkit to search and easily download COVID-19 branded assets and resources o Alert Level 2 resources o Alert Level 3 resources o Any feedback or suggestions can be emailed to COVID19Brand@dpmc.govt.nz · Translated information is available in 26 languages · Information is available in 5 alternate formats · For more information: o Unite Against COVID-19 § Website § Regional advice for Northland, Auckland and parts of Waikato § Facebook § Instagram § Twitter o The Ministry of Health § Website § Locations of interest § COVID-19 current cases Date: 25 October 2021 at 6:50:28 PM NZDT Subject: COVID-19 Response Update - 109 new cases including four in Waikato and two in Northland Kei ngā tōtara haemata, kei ngā tōtara whakahīhī o te ngahere hauora Māori ki Aotearoa, nei anō aku mihi e rere atu ana ki a koutou katoa. As this long weekend draws to a close, I’d like to mihi to you all for continuing to maintain a high level of COVID-19 vigilance in the service of your communities and whānau. Tikanga hauora will be a valuable tool as we navigate the unprecedented waters of the coming COVID-affected summer period. Speaking of tools, the best we have in our fight against COVID-19 remains vaccination. We need everyone who can, to get vaccinated, as soon as possible because no one is invincible; we all have a part to play in keeping our people safe. I would also like to mihi to the countless kaimahi hauora who’ve sacrificed weekends and regular working hours throughout this outbreak to keep our whānau safe. It’s important we acknowledge their sacrifice and service. Please remember to kōrero to your people, manaaki one other, and encourage each other to keep up the good fight. Ko tā tātou toa he toa takitini, ehara i te toa takitahi. Kia kaha tonu tātou katoa. 109 new community cases in Aotearoa · There are a total of 109 new community cases to report in Aotearoa today; 103 of these are in Tāmaki Makaurau, 4 are in Waikato, 2 are in Te Tai Tokerau. · Further details about the cases outside of Tāmaki Makaurau are provided below. · This brings the total number of cases associated with this latest outbreak to 2,681. Since the outbreak started, 1,456 people have recovered giving us an active total of 1,225. · Of today’s 109 new cases, 62 are linked, and 47 remain unlinked, with interviews underway. · Today, there are 35 people in hospital with COVID-19, down from 50 yesterday. All these people are in Tāmaki Makaurau except for one person who is in Waikato. Five of these people are either in ICU or HDU. Te Waiharakeke/Blenheim positive case update · Interviews are continuing with the unvaccinated Te Waiharakeke individual who was confirmed to be COVID-19 positive on Saturday. This follows the return of negative tests from two earlier contacts yesterday. All three contacts are now isolating and being managed by Nelson Marlborough Health. · We can also confirm the case who recently travelled to Te Waiharakeke had spent the night at a residential address in Tokoroa before flying from Rotorua Airport. Public Health officials are now investigating whether there are any potential exposure events in the area, associated with this case. · People living in Tokoroa and Whakatū, Te Tai o Aorere and Te Tauihu-o-te-waka, in particular, are asked to monitor the Ministry of Health’s locations of interest page, which is regularly updated. · We are also asking residents in Whakatū, Te Tai o Aorere and Te Tauihu-o-te-waka with symptoms – no matter how mild – to please get tested, even if they are vaccinated. · Testing in the region is available today and tomorrow in: o Te Waiharakeke at Horton Park, off Redwood Street until 5.30pm o Whakatū at the Saxton Field parking area in Suffolk Road in Stoke today and tomorrow until 4pm. Four new cases in Waikato, including two in Ōtorohanga · The two cases in Ōtorohanga, announced last night, were confirmed after the Ministry’s daily reporting period, so are included in today’s overall case tally. As reported last night, these two cases are close contacts of a previously confirmed case from Te Awamutu. They are now isolating locally in dedicated accommodation, with public health oversight. · A pop-up testing site will be open till 3pm in Ōtorohanga today at the Ōtorohanga Sports Club Carpark, at the Island Reserve on Orahiri Terrace. · There are two further new cases to report in Waikato today; one in Kirikiriroa and one in Te Awamutu/Kihikihi. All are known contacts of existing cases and have been in touch with Public Health officials. · This brings total cases for Waikato during this outbreak to 87, with six cases for which epidemiological links remain under investigation. · We are urging anyone in Waikato to get tested if they have any symptoms which could be COVID-19 or if you believe you have been in contact with a case. · Testing locations can be viewed on the Healthpoint website and Waikato DHB website, with testing available throughout Labour Weekend. · Waikato DHB is calling for people to take advantage of the holiday break to get vaccinated, with walk-ins available at many sites across the region. Two new cases in Te Tai Tokerau · There are two new expected and linked cases to report today in Te Tai Tokerau. These individuals were in isolation throughout their infectious period. · With 11 locations of interest across Northland confirmed so far, people living in Northland are asked to monitor the Ministry of Health’s website, which is updated regularly. · Anyone who visited these locations of interest at the specified times is asked to monitor their symptoms for 14 days and if any develop, get tested and stay at home until a negative test result is received and they have been symptom-free for 24 hours. · Additional testing, and vaccinations clinics, in the area has been arranged and is available here: o Kaitaia – Kaitaia Hospital – open 9am-4pm o Kerikeri – 1 Sammaree Place – open 9am-4pm o Rawene, Rawene Hospital - 9am-2pm (testing only) o Ōhaeawai – Ōhaeawai Rugby Clubrooms – open 10am-4pm o Dargaville – Dargaville Hospital – open 10am-3pm o Whangârei – 20 Winger Crescent – open 9am-4pm · Those in Northland are also reminded to get vaccinated this weekend if they have not already. All vaccination clinic locations across the region are available on the Northland DHB website Tāmaki Makaurau suburbs of interest · As noted in yesterday’s 1pm COVID-19 update, Tāmaki Makaurau public health officials continue to urge residents of the North Shore suburbs of Redvale and Rosedale – with even the mildest of symptoms – to get tested, regardless of whether they are vaccinated or not. · This follows high positivity rates of more than 6% in Redvale and 3.8% in Rosedale. · This testing will help to provide assurance that there is not undetected spread of COVID-19 in these communities. And that if there is any undetected transmission, this is identified as quickly as possible. · There is good testing capacity available this long weekend at community testing sites, GPs and urgent care clinics. · Testing is available at Community Testing Centres in: o Eventfinda Stadium, 17 Silverfield, Wairau Valley – open 8.30am-4.30pm o North Harbour Stadium, Oteha Valley Road in Carpark B – open 8.30am-4.30pm o Northcote Community Testing Centre, Corner of College Road and Kilham Avenue – open 6.30am-6.30pm o whānau House, Waipareira Trust Henderson, Corner of Edsel and Catherine Street – open 8am-2pm o Massey Pop-up Community Testing Centre, Carpark of Community Hub, Triangle Park, 385 Don Buck Road – open 7.30am-6pm · Testing is also available at GP and Urgent Care clinics, the locations of these can be found on the Healthpoint website. Date: 23 October 2021 at 5:25:35 PM NZDT Subject: COVID-19 Response Update - 104 new cases including eight in Waikato, four in Northland, and one in Blenheim Tēnei te mihi atu rā ki aku toa hauora Māori huri noa i te motu, koutou e whawhai ana mō te oranga tonutanga o te iwi Māori, tēnā rā koutou katoa. Last weekend, Super Saturday provided a huge boost to Aotearoa’s COVID-19 response, with a record-breaking 130,002 doses of the vaccine administered. Today, I’m asking anyone who hasn’t been vaccinated yet to make today their Super Saturday and get their first dose. Vaccination is our number one protection against COVID-19. The Pzifer vaccine is safe, will help stop whānau from getting seriously ill, and could save lives. I also want to remind whānau they can get their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine any time from three weeks after their first. This will ensure they get the high protection that full vaccination provides. If you haven’t yet had your second dose, please book it in now. With summer quickly approaching, we need to get as many of our whānau fully vaccinated as possible. The target of 90% has been set for all DHBs, so now we all have the responsibility to mobilise and support the kaupapa. It won’t be easy, but we can do it if we work together. Heoi anō, in addition to getting vaccinated, it’s important we also uphold our other tikanga hauora. With the news of cases in Te Tai Tokerau and Te Waipounamu, I know many of our whānau will be concerned for their safety. That’s why it’s critical we continue to follow our relevant Alert Level restrictions – stay home and get tested if you’re māuiui, wear your face covering when out and about, keep track of where you’ve been, and please continue to be kind to one another. If you need a reminder of your current Alert Level settings, please visit the Unite Against COVID website. 104 new community cases in Aotearoa · There are a total of 104 new community cases to report in Aotearoa today; 91 of these are in Tāmaki Makaurau, eight are in Waikato, four are in Te Tai Tokerau, and one is in Blenheim. Further details about the cases outside of Tāmaki Makaurau are provided below. · This brings the total number of cases associated with this latest outbreak to 2,492. Since the outbreak started, 1,400 people have recovered giving us an active total of 1,092. · Of today’s 104 new cases, 43 are linked, including 33 household contacts, and 61 remain unlinked, with interviews underway. · Today, there are 55 people in hospital with COVID-19. All these people are in Tāmaki Makaurau except for one person who is in Waikato. Five of these people are either in ICU or HDU. Positive COVID-19 case in Blenheim · The Ministry of Health has confirmed a case of COVID-19 isolating in Blenheim. This comes after the individual returned a positive COVID-19 test result late last night. · The individual flew from Rotorua and arrived in Blenheim on the 21st of October. They sought a test upon arrival after developing a sore throat. The initial test, including a follow-up swab, returned a weak positive result. · The current public health assessment is that the risk appears low given the individual’s likely late stage of infection. · So far, initial case interviews have identified a small number of close contacts, who have been contacted and are currently isolating with tests arranged. · Interviews are also being undertaken to determine any locations of interest in, or en route to, Blenheim. People living in the Blenheim township are asked to monitor the Ministry of Health’s locations of interest page, which is regularly updated. · We’re also asking any Blenheim residents with symptoms – no matter how mild – to please get tested, even if they are vaccinated. You can find testing locations on Healthpoint. Four new cases in Te Tai Tokerau · There are four new cases to report today in Te Tai Tokerau. All four cases are related to each other. · A case investigation has identified a limited number of close contacts. So far, all results from close contacts have returned negative test results, with a small number of outstanding results expected later today. · People living in Te Tai Tokerau are asked to monitor the Ministry of Health’s locations of interest page which will be regularly updated. · Anyone who visited these locations of interest at the specified times is asked to monitor their symptoms for 14 days and if any develop, get tested and stay at home until a negative test result is received and they have been symptom-free for 24 hours. · Additional testing in the area is being arranged and details will be available on the Healthpoint website. Eight new cases in Waikato · There are eight new cases to report today in Waikato, of these, seven are in Te Awamutu and one is in Kirikiriroa. The Te Awamutu cases have all been linked to contact between individuals in a private setting. · This brings the total number of confirmed cases in the rohe to 81. At this time, there are five cases in Waikato that are deemed unlinked – but one is a new case who Public Health are speaking to today. · Waikato DHB is continuing to carry out testing throughout the rohe, to help determine any undetected community spread of COVID-19. · We’re urging anyone in the rohe - in particular, people in Te Awamutu - to get tested if they have any symptoms that could be COVID-19. · Testing locations in and around Waikato are available on the Healthpoint website and the Waikato DHB website, with testing available throughout Labour Weekend. · Yesterday there were around 2400 tests processed in Waikato. Vaccination rates in the rohe also remained steady yesterday with 3,706 people receiving a dose – of these vaccinations, 1201 were first doses, and a further 2505 were second doses. Tāmaki Makaurau suburbs of interest · As the outbreak is now more dispersed, testing in Tāmaki Makaurau is now focused on areas with higher positivity rates and where the risk of unidentified cases is higher. · One suburb of interest with a high positivity rate of more than 6% is Redvale, on the North Shore. We are asking Redvale residents with any COVID-19 symptoms, no matter how mild, to get tested as soon as possible, even if they are vaccinated. We are also encouraging testing in New Lynn and the North Shore suburbs of Rosedale and Bayswater. · Additionally, we still want everyone in Tāmaki Makaurau to get a test if they have any symptoms – even those who are full vaccinated or with very mild symptoms should get tested and isolate at home while waiting for test results. · All testing locations can be found on the Healthpoint website. Date: 22 October 2021 at 7:48:19 PM NZDT Subject: COVID-19 Response Update - 129 new cases and an update on the newly announced COVID-19 Protection Framework Kei ngā rangatira hauora o te motu, koutou e manaaki ana i ō tātou whānau huri noa, tēnā rā koutou katoa. Earlier today, the Prime Minister announced the next stage of the COVID-19 response plan, the COVID-19 Protection Framework. I wanted to use this pānui to talk about this framework and discuss what it means for you and your whānau, as well as providing an update on our COVID-19 response across the motu. As we know, vaccinations have the power to change the way we manage the virus. If you are vaccinated it means that you are less likely to catch the virus, and much less likely to end up in hospital if you do. It also helps protect our people. The more of us who are vaccinated, the harder it is for COVID to spread through communities quickly and find our most vulnerable. Nā reira, while we used to say staying home would save lives, we now need to be vaccinated to save lives. We have looked at all the evidence, talked to experts, looked at modelling, and set a target of 90% fully vaccinated for each DHB in Aotearoa. When every DHB reaches this target, we will move into the COVID-19 Protection Framework. This new framework will have three settings, like our current Alert Level system – Green, Orange, and Red, all of which are explained below. One of the main differences with this new framework is the use of vaccination certificates. Whānau who are fully vaccinated will have more opportunities than those who aren’t. When every DHB hits the vaccination target of 90%, Cabinet plans to shift all of Aotearoa to Orange. Heoi anō, because of the work Tāmaki Makaurau has done to lift vaccination rates, and because of the border around the city, rather than wait for the rest of Aotearoa, Tāmaki Makaurau will move to Red as soon as all three of the Tāmaki Makaurau DHBs hit the 90% target. I’ll make sure to keep you updated on news related to this framework as it arises. In the meantime, if you have any pātai or need more information, please check out the Unite Against COVID website. COVID-19 Protection Framework – Red · The Red setting is what we’ll use when the virus is spreading in a way that means we need to take action to protect our most vulnerable and prevent too much pressure on our health system. · The Red setting means hospitality and retail can open, but there will be limits on gathering sizes and physical distancing measures required. · Our kura will open, but with public health measures in place. · Working from home will be encouraged, and face coverings will be mandatory on flights, public transport, in taxis, in retail, and in public venues. · If vaccine certificates aren’t used, hospitality will have to be contactless, and gatherings will be limited to 10 people. Close contact businesses, events, and gyms will not be able to operate. Additionally, tertiary education will have to be distance learning only. · You can read more about the Red level on the Unite Against COVID website. COVID-19 Protection Framework – Orange · Once every DHB in the country hits the fully vaccinated target of 90%, all of Aotearoa will collectively move to the Orange setting. · At Orange, there will be increasing community transmission that is putting pressure on our health system. The whole health system will focus its resources, but can continue to manage primary care, public health, and hospitals. There may also be an increasing risk for vulnerable whānau members. · At this setting, everything remains open and gathering limits can lift because vaccine certificates will be in place. Places that choose not to use vaccine certificates will have to close or operate with public health measures in place. · Record keeping and scanning will be required in this setting, and face coverings will be mandatory on flights, public transport, in taxis, in retail, and in public venues. · Public venues will be open with capacity limits based on 1 metre physical distancing, as will retail. · People can return to work and tamariki can go to kura where public health measures will be in place. Certain outdoor community events will also be allowed. · You can learn more about the Orange setting on the Unite Against COVID website. COVID-19 Protection Framework – Green · We’ll move to the Green setting when there is some COVID in the community but at low levels. Community transmission will be limited, and COVID-19 hospitalisations will be at a manageable level. The health system will be ready to respond, including primary care, public health, and hospitals. · At this setting, fully vaccinated people can enjoy all events, hospitality venues, and gatherings by showing a vaccine certificate. Where premises choose not to use vaccine certificates, they will face restrictions on numbers and spacing like the current Alert Level framework. · Record keeping and scanning will be required, and face coverings will only be mandatory on flights but will be encouraged in indoor settings. · Even at the Green setting, if vaccination certificates aren’t used, there will be limits of 100 people, with 1 metre physical distancing between people who will be seated and separated, in hospitality venues, at gatherings (weddings, tangihanga, religious hui), events, and gyms. · You can learn more about the Green setting on the Unite Against COVID website. 129 new community cases in Aotearoa, including nine in Waikato · There are a total of 129 new community cases to report in Aotearoa today; 120 of these are in Tāmaki Makaurau and nine are in Waikato. · The total number of cases associated with this outbreak is now 2,389. Since the outbreak started, 1,395 people have recovered giving us an active total of 994. · Of today’s 129 new cases, 64 are linked, including 25 household contacts, and 65 remain unlinked, with interviews underway. · Today, there are 51 people in hospital with COVID-19. All these people are in Tāmaki Makaurau except for one person who is in Waikato. Five of these people are either in ICU or HDU. Date: 20 October 2021 at 7:06:40 PM NZDT Subject: COVID-19 Response Update for 20 October 2021 [UNCLASSIFIED] COVID-19 Response Update for 20 October 2021 This update shares key information about the Government’s response to Covid-19. It is intended to provide consistent information across central government, local government, CDEM and our key partners. You are welcome to share this update with others. If you would like to subscribe to receive these updates, please let us know. Key things to note: · There are 60 new community cases; 56 in Auckland and four in the Waikato. There are two new cases at the border. · Education staff in Alert Level 3 area who require a COVID-19 test. · Students in Years 11-13 within Alert Level 3 areas will be able to return to school and school grounds from Tuesday, 26 October. · End of the year exams will go ahead for senior secondary students across the whole country. · New MIFQ group allocations have been created. · MIFQ healthcare workers can work in other healthcare facilities, without a 48-hour stand down and negative test requirement. · For more information on all of these key points, visit Unite Against COVID-19 and the resources listed at the bottom of this email. Education staff in Alert Level 3 area who require a COVID-19 test · Education staff who are working on site, are required to undergo testing once every seven days until they have received two doses of the vaccine. · Mandatory COVID-19 testing does not apply to Alert Level 2 areas. · Where an area moves from Alert Level 3 to Alert Level 2, testing will no longer be required. Information for students returning to school in Alert Level 3 areas · Students in Years 11-13 within Alert Level 3 areas, will be able to return to school and school grounds from Tuesday, 26 October. · Students must wear masks when indoors at school and on school transport. · Students returning to school are encouraged to be vaccinated. · Vaccine mandates for school staff apply. End of year exams for senior students · Exams will go ahead at the end of the year for senior secondary students across the whole country. · Students in both Alert Level 2 and 3 will be able to sit their NCEA and Scholarship exams. · Students affected by the elevated Alert Levels in Northland, Auckland and the Waikato will be eligible for an Unexpected Event Grade. Managed Isolation and Quarantine Facility (MIQ/F) updates · There is heavy demand for spaces in MIQ in the lead up to Christmas. · MIQ rooms will be released Thursday 21 October at 2pm (NZDT) through the virtual lobby. · New group allocations have been made for Healthcare workers, Time Sensitive Travel workers and Ministerial/trade officials. · Time Sensitive Travel allocations have been determined for November and December 2021. Mostly for the health and agricultural sectors, and for engineers, technicians, military and diplomatic personnel. Update to policy on MIQF healthcare workers · From Thursday, MIFQ healthcare workers will be allowed to also work in other healthcare facilities without a 48-hour stand down and negative test requirement. · This will allow greater flexibility for the MIFQ health workforce to respond to health system surges and reduce workforce pressure. · The public health risk associated with MIFQ healthcare workers moving between clinical settings is considered very low. · There have been only three MIFQ health workers to be infected since the pandemic began. All three were in 2020. Compliance updates from Police · Since Alert Level 3 came into place, 28 people have been charged with a total of 28 offences in Tāmaki Makaurau, Northland and parts of the Waikato. · In the same period, 29 people were formally warned. · Police have received 5,019 breach notifications through the 105 online portal. Stand-up and press releases · 1.00pm stand-up o Today’s media conference can be found here. · Ministry of Health daily media release: o 60 community cases of COVID-19; 2 cases at the border; 89 percent of Aucklanders have one vaccine dose is attached · Media release/statement from Joint Head of MIQ Brigadier Rose King: Absconding incidents at Auckland MIQ facility is attached · MOH Business COVID-19 Update: This includes high level information about the COVID-19 Protection Framework, Rapid Testing, Third Primary Dose and Booster Vaccines, and Vaccination rights and obligations in the workplace, is attached Resources and information · Today’s grid and FAQ’s from DPMC containing detailed messaging of the above is attached. · COVID-19 Resource Toolkit pilot: o To use the toolkit you need to create a free account. You can then use the toolkit to search and easily download COVID-19 branded assets and resources. o Alert Level 2 resources o Alert Level 3 resources o Any feedback or suggestions can be emailed to COVID19Brand@dpmc.govt.nz. · Translated information is available in 26 languages. · Information is available in 5 alternate formats. · For more information: o Unite Against COVID-19 § Website § Regional advice for Northland, Auckland and parts of Waikato § Facebook § Instagram § Twitter o The Ministry of Health § Website § Locations of interest § COVID-19 current cases Date: 20 October 2021 at 6:55:20 PM NZDT Subject: COVID-19 Response Update - 60 new cases in the community E rere atu ana ngā mihi whakamānawa ki a koutou e ngā ūpoko pakaru o te pūnaha hauora, whaikaha hoki, tēnā rawa atu koutou katoa. As we cross this week’s mid-point, and start winding down for the weekend, I want to mihi to each of you for the hard mahi you’ve put into our COVID-19 response over the past nine weeks. I am constantly amazed by the dedication and passion of our kaimahi hauora, Māori health providers, and whānau. Each of you have remain committed to the kaupapa even in the face of insurmountable odds. Despite the increased risk posed by Delta, you have constantly risen to the occasion, fighting like an ururoa to protect our people from this ngārara. Nā reira, kei te mihi au ki a koutou katoa e aku ururoa. Heoi anō, as we look back on the gains we’ve made in the past few months, it’s important we remain vigilant, resolute to keep our people safe. We know how tricky the Delta variant is – it will fight back if we let it. So, no matter where you are in the motu, please continue to follow your relevant Alert Level restrictions and our tikanga hauora. Wear your mask when out and about, stay home and get tested if you’re māuiui, continue to encourage your whānau and friends to get vaccinated, and most importantly, remember to be kind to one another. 60 new community cases in Aotearoa, including four in Waikato · Today, there are a total of 60 new community cases to report in Aotearoa; 56 of these are in Tāmaki Makaurau and four are in Waikato. · The total number of cases associated with this outbreak is now 2,158. Since the outbreak started, 1,389 people have recovered giving us an active total of 769. · Of today’s 60 new cases, 22 are yet to be linked to a current case and interviews are underway. · Of yesterday’s 94 cases, 34 of those people remain unlinked with investigations ongoing. · I tēnei rā, there are 43 people in hospital with COVID-19, all these people are in Tāmaki Makaurau except for one person who is in Waikato. Five of these cases are either in ICU or HDU. My whakaaro continue to be with those in hospital and their whānau during this stressful time. Update on our response in Tāmaki Makaurau · Public health officials are modifying the approach to suburban testing following an increase in cases, particularly on the North Shore and New Lynn. · As the outbreak is now more disbursed, the approach is moving away from suburbs of interest and will instead concentrate on areas with higher positivity rates where the risk of unidentified cases is higher. · People in New Lynn and the North Shore suburbs of Rosedale, Redvale, and Bayswater - either vaccinated or unvaccinated - are asked to get tested as soon as possible if they have even mild symptoms. · This testing will help to provide assurance that any undetected spread of COVID-19 in these communities is identified as quickly as possible. · A list of testing sites, and their opening hours, can be found on the Healthpoint website. Update on our Waikato response · As mentioned above, there are four new cases to report today in Waikato. Two of the cases are in Te Awamutu, and two are contacts of known cases and are already isolating. · Investigations to determine how the other two cases are linked to the outbreak are underway. This brings the total number of cases in Waikato to 56; 10 of whom have recovered. · Waikato DHB is continuing to carry out regionwide testing with 4,520 swabs taken yesterday. Testing locations in and around Waikato are available on the Healthpoint website and the Waikato DHB website. · Pop up testing sites are continuing to operate in Te Awamutu, Kihikihi, Raglan and Whatawhata. We are continuing to encourage anyone living in these areas who is symptomatic, to get a test. COVID-19 vaccination rollout update · To date, 85% of all eligible New Zealanders have had one dose of the vaccine, and 67% have had their second dose. · Yesterday, 42,809 vaccines were administered across the motu including 10,392 first doses and 32,417 second doses. · For the Māori roll-out, 382,141 (67%) of our people have had one dose of the vaccination, and 261,711 (46%) have had their second dose and are fully vaccinated. · Vaccination remains one of our strongest weapons in our fight against COVID-19. You can help protect our communities by encouraging your friends and whānau to get vaccinated as soon as possible. It’s safe and it’s free. They can do this online or by calling 0800 28 29 26. · Please also continue to have conversations with your whānau, particularly those who are on the fence. If you need any help, you can check out the resources on the Unite Against COVID website. Date: Tuesday, 19 October 2021 at 7:02 PM Subject: COVID-19 Response Update for 19 October 2021 [UNCLASSIFIED] COVID-19 Response Update for 19 October 2021 This update shares key information about the Government’s response to Covid-19. It is intended to provide consistent information across central government, local government, CDEM and our key partners. You are welcome to share this update with others. If you would like to subscribe to receive these updates, please let us know. Key things to note: · There are 94 new community cases; 87 in Auckland and seven in Waikato. There are also five new cases at the border. · Some people may be eligible for a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. · New Zealand vaccination update. · Updated travel rules for travel within Alert Level 3 and when an Alert Level increase is announced. · For more information on all of these key points, visit Unite Against COVID-19 and the resources listed at the bottom of this email. Some people may be eligible for a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine · The COVID-19 Technical Advisory Group has recommended that people aged 12 and over, who are severely immunocompromised receive a third dose of the Pfizer vaccine. · Severely immunocompromised people are at higher risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19. They might not produce a sufficiently strong immune response after two doses of the Pfizer vaccine. · As such, a third dose may be beneficial. It is recommended but optional. · There are specific criteria for who can qualify for a third primary dose. More information will be released on the Ministry of Health website. New Zealand vaccination update · More than six million vaccine doses have now been given. As of 11.59pm on 18 October, 6,387,870 doses have been administered in New Zealand. · 67% of the total eligible population are fully vaccinated. · 3,582,822 (85% of people aged 12 and over) have had at least one dose. · 379,563 Māori have had at least one dose (66% percent of total eligible Māori population). · 231,295 Pacific people (81% of the total eligible Pacific population) have had at least one dose · 1,274,317 Aucklanders (89% of those eligible) have had at least one dose. Updates to permitted travel rules · Anyone living in a region where an increase in alert levels is announced, is not permitted to travel to an alternative place of residence outside that region. · People who do not live on Waiheke Island or Great Barrier (Aotea) Island are not allowed to travel to those locations during Alert Level 3. Except for permitted controlled gatherings or other permitted travel under Alert Level 3 rules. · People living in Alert Level 3 areas are not permitted to travel within their region for the purposes of overnight stay away from their home or place of residence. Education – travel between family homes and hostels in different Alert Levels · School students in Alert Level 3 may travel from Alert Level 3 to Alert Level 2 to return to hostels. · Students who do so must stay at their hostel for the remainder of the term. · Travel back and forth between family homes and hostels is not be permitted until travel restrictions are withdrawn. · Anyone aged 12 and over must get a test. More information on testing for travel between regions is available on the Unite Against COVID-19 website. Stand-up and press releases · 1.00pm stand-up o Today’s media conference can be found here. · Ministry of Health daily media release: o 94 community cases of COVID-19; 5 cases at the border; 89 percent of Aucklanders have one vaccine dose, is attached. Resources and information · Today’s grid from DPMC containing detailed messaging of the above is attached. · COVID-19 Resource Toolkit pilot: o To use the toolkit you need to create a free account. You can then use the toolkit to search and easily download COVID-19 branded assets and resources. o Alert Level 2 resources o Alert Level 3 resources o Any feedback or suggestions can be emailed to COVID19Brand@dpmc.govt.nz. · Translated information is available in 26 languages. · Information is available in 5 alternate formats. · For more information: o Unite Against COVID-19 § Website § Regional advice for Northland, Auckland and parts of Waikato § Facebook § Instagram § Twitter o The Ministry of Health § Website § Locations of interest § COVID-19 current cases
Date: Tuesday, 19 October 2021 at 6:05 PM Subject: COVID-19 Response Update - 94 new cases and an update on our responses in Tāmaki Makaurau, Waikato and Northland
Kei ngā toka tū moana e tū pakari tonu ana ahakoa te papaki mai o ngā ngaru tūātea me te pupuhi mai o te hau pūkeri, tēnā rawa atu koutou katoa. No doubt you will have seen the large number of new cases announced earlier. Today’s number is the highest we’ve experienced since COVID first broke out in Aotearoa. I know the fluctuation of case numbers can be difficult for people, especially those of our whānau living in Tāmaki Makaurau. However, as the Prime Minister said earlier today, we are not powerless; we have the ability to keep case numbers as low as possible, and that’s through our tikanga hauora and Alert Level restrictions. The highest number of cases today are across the three age ranges that are least vaccinated, and that’s our whānau aged 39 years and under. We need everyone who can, to get vaccinated as soon as possible because no one is invincible; we all have a part to play in keeping our people safe. As Minister Henare said, COVID-19 is on the doorsteps of our whare, and the best way to keep it out is through vaccination. Heoi anō, we know vaccinations are already making a significant difference to the outbreak in Tāmaki Makaurau, and so are our Alert Level restrictions. Nā reira, ahakoa kei hea koe i te motu, no matter where you are in the country, please continue to follow your relevant Alert Level restrictions and our tikanga hauora. If you need a reminder of what those are, please check out the Unite Against COVID website. 94 new community cases in Aotearoa, including seven in Waikato
Today, there are a total of 94 new community cases to report in Aotearoa; 87 of these are in Tāmaki Makaurau and seven are in Waikato, which brings the total number of cases in Waikato to 52.
The total number of cases associated with this outbreak is now 2,099. Since the outbreak started, 1,384 people have recovered giving us an active total of 715.
Of today’s 94 new cases, 53 are yet to be linked to a current case and interviews are underway. Encouragingly, all seven of the new Waikato cases have already been linked.
Of yesterday’s cases, 19 remain unlinked with investigations ongoing.
I tēnei rā, there are 38 people in hospital with COVID-19, all these people are in Tāmaki Makaurau. Five of these cases are either in ICU or HDU.
Update on our response in Tāmaki Makaurau
Public health staff are continuing to urge anyone in Tāmaki Makaurau to please get a test if they have any symptoms of COVID-19, regardless of which suburb they live in.
There are increased cases across the rohe, so everyone needs to remain vigilant.
There are 19 community testing centres available for testing across Tāmaki Makaurau today. A list of sites, and their opening hours, can be found on the Healthpoint website.
Mobile surveillance testing of residential facilities is also continuing, including emergency housing, transitional housing, boarding houses, motels and community housing providers. So far, this testing has involved around 50 sites.
Update on our Waikato response
As mentioned above, there are seven new cases to report today in Waikato – initial interviews show all are linked to known cases.
Investigations are continuing to determine the links of two cases reported last week and two cases reported on Sunday.
Waikato DHB is continuing to carry out regionwide testing, to rule out any undetected community spread of COVID-19, with around 3,370 swabs taken across the rohe yesterday.
Testing locations in and around Waikato are available on the Healthpoint website and the Waikato DHB website. Pop up testing sites are also operating in Kirikiriroa, Whatawhata and Kihikihi.
Meanwhile, vaccination rates in Waikato remained steady yesterday with 2,939 people receiving a dose – of these, 891 were first doses, and a further 2,048 were second doses.
A total of 529,803 vaccines have been administered across the rohe to date.
Update on our response in Te Tai Tokerau
Hei whakamaumahara, Te Tai Tokerau will move to Alert Level 2 at 11.59pm tonight.
I want to thank all our whānau and kaimahi hauora in Te Tai Tokerau for supporting the local response and giving us the confidence to shift Alert Levels in the region.
We are continuing to encourage anyone in the rohe who is symptomatic to get a test.
Yesterday, there were 953 tests taken across the region. All tests processed to date have returned negative.
Today, there are nine testing centres open across Te Tai Tokerau. Testing locations are available on the Healthpoint website and the Northland DHB website.
COVID-19 vaccination rollout update
To date, 85% of all eligible New Zealanders have had one dose of the vaccine, and 67% have had their second dose.
Yesterday, 42,793 vaccines were administered across the motu including 10,025 first doses and 32,768 second doses.
For the Māori roll-out, 379,563 (66%) of our people have had one dose of the vaccination, and 258,018 (45%) have had their second dose and are fully vaccinated.
Vaccination remains one of our strongest tools in our fight against COVID-19. Nā reira, please help protect our communities by encouraging your friends and whānau to get vaccinated as soon as possible. It’s safe and it’s free. They can do this online or by calling 0800 28 29 26.
Please also continue to have courageous with your whānau, particularly those who are on the fence. If you need any help, you can check out the resources on the Unite Against COVID website.
Date: 17 October 2021 at 6:03:08 PM NZDT Subject: COVID-19 Response Update - Over 130,000 people vaccinated yesterday and 51 new cases today
Kei te tūtara-kauika o te punaha hauora, whaikaha hoki, nei râ te mihi maioha ki a koutou katoa. Super Saturday provided a huge boost for our COVID-19 response, with a record-breaking 130,002 people putting their arms out for vaccinations yesterday. People across the motu embraced the kaupapa and mobilised to keep themselves, their whānau, and their communities safe. I’m incredibly proud of our Māori communities for getting behind this initiative, and I’m equally proud of our kaimahi hauora for supporting this kaupapa. Without our kaimahi working on the frontline, this wouldn’t have been possible, nā reira, e mihi atu ana ki a koutou katoa. I want to mihi in particular to our whānau and kaimahi hauora in Tāmaki Makaurau. The city did incredibly well with its biggest ever vaccination day and I congratulate everyone who stepped forward to get vaccinated – 41,081 people were vaccinated in the rohe yesterday, including 9,039 first doses and 32,042 second doses. It was also the biggest ever day for Māori vaccinations with 10,941 first doses and 10,874 second doses. I want to thank our Māori providers for the enormous amount of mahi that has gone into making yesterday such a success. Thanks to this kaupapa, 3,565,692 New Zealanders – or 85% of New Zealand’s eligible population, have now had at least one vaccination, and 2,748,291 people (or 65%) are fully vaccinated. That’s an amazing effort e hoa mā, me whakahīhī tātou i tērā, ka tika. Heoi anō, as we launch into another week of fighting COVID, it’s important we keep up the good mahi. Please continue to uphold our tikanga hauora and Alert Level restrictions and keep encouraging your whānau and friends to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Kia kaha tonu tātou. 51 new community cases in Aotearoa, including four in Waikato
· Today, there are a total of 51 new community cases to report in Aotearoa; 47 of these are in Tāmaki Makaurau and four are in Waikato, which brings the total number of cases in Waikato to 42.
· The total number of cases associated with this outbreak is now 1,945. Since the outbreak started, 1322 people have recovered giving us an active total of 623.
· Of today’s 51 new cases, 28 are linked, 18 of which are household contacts, and 23 remain unlinked with interviews underway.
· There are now 29 people in hospital with COVID-19, which is two less than yesterday. Five of these cases are in ICU or HDU. My whakaaro continue to be with these people and their whānau during this stressful time.
Update on our response in Waikato
· Super Saturday was a big success in the rohe with over 10,000 people getting out to be vaccinated. Of those people, 3,887 received their first dose and 6,201 their second dose. There were also 6,080 swabs taken for testing around the region.
· Four new cases were confirmed in Waikato overnight. Two cases (one in Kirikiriroa and one in Raglan) were known contacts of existing cases, including one individual who was already in managed isolation.
· Investigations are underway to determine how the other two cases are connected to the current outbreak. One lives in Kirikiriroa and the other has an address in Kihikihi. It is possible that the Kihikihi case is the source of the wastewater detections in Te Awamutu, however this has not yet been confirmed.
· Waikato DHB is continuing to carry out regionwide testing and we are encouraging anyone with symptoms to get tested – particularly for residents of Raglan, Te Awamutu and Kihikihi.
Wastewater testing in Wellsford
· Following two positive detections in waste-water samples in Wellsford, it can be confirmed there is one household in the area with cases.
· Wellsford residents are asked to remain vigilant and get tested if they have any symptoms.
· There is a pop-up community testing centre open at Warkworth – please call ahead to book your test.
· COVID-19 testing is also available at general practice and urgent care clinics. A pop-up testing centre will be operating in Kaiwaka from 10am to 5pm from tomorrow. For other testing locations, visit the Healthpoint website.
Update on the COVID-19 vaccination roll-out
· Thanks to the massive boost provided by Super Saturday, over 3.56 million eligible New Zealanders have now had one dose of the vaccine, and 2.74 million have had their second dose and are now fully vaccinated. That means over 85% of all eligible New Zealanders have had at least one dose of the vaccine. This is amazing news for our response.
· For the Māori roll-out, 375,387 (66%) of our people have had one dose of the vaccination, and 252,419 (44%) have had their second dose. This is also really encouraging, heoi anō, we still have some way to go in getting all our people protected. Please continue to help by asking your whānau and friends to get vaccinated as soon as possible. It’s safe and it’s free.
Date: 16 October 2021 at 5:32:52 PM NZDT Subject: COVID-19 Response Update - Over 100,000 doses given on Super Saturday and 41 new community cases
E ngā karoro uri, e ngā karoro tea, koutou mā e ngā rangatira whakahaere o te tira hauroa Māori, tēnā rawa atu koutou katoa. Our national day of action kicked of well this morning with thousands of people around the motu rolling up their sleeves to get vaccinated. A huge range of events are underway around the country with more than 120 extra vaccination sites open – from the TSS Earnslaw in Queenstown to the Air New Zealand Jabaseat in Tāmaki Makaurau. Additionally, our first-ever Vaxathon launched at midday today to celebrate the regions with the biggest change in vaccination numbers. A second Facebook live panel of experts was held at 9.30am today, with Dr Ashley Bloomfield, Dr Nikki Turner, Dr Siouxsie Wiles and Dr Vanisi Prescott answering more of the public’s pātai about the COVID-19 Vaccine, moderated by Mihingarangi Forbes. The Unite Against COVID’s Super Saturday webpage is publishing regular data updates about the number of people getting their shots today and information about getting vaccinated, including free transport options and vaccination sites. As of 3pm this afternoon, we have smashed our initial goal of reaching 100,000 doses of the vaccination. I want to mihi to all our whānau and kaimahi hauora for making this possible, ka wani kē koutou katoa! Heoi anō, although we’ve reached our goal of 100,00 doses, I’m confident we can get a few more thousand in before the day is over. Nā reira, please reach out to your friends, whānau, and colleagues now and encourage them to get vaccinated. Ka mutu, if you also haven’t already been vaccinated yourself, please get to a vaccination site right now, or book in your vaccination online. With raumati quickly approaching, it’s important we increase our vaccination rates as soon as possible. The more of us who are fully vaccinated, the more freedoms we can enjoy this summer. Kia kaha rā tātou katoa! 41 new community cases in Aotearoa, including one in Waikato
· Today, there are a total of 41 new community cases to report in Aotearoa; 40 of these are in Tāmaki Makaurau and one is in Waikato.
· The total number of cases associated with this outbreak is now 1,895.
· Of today’s 41 new cases, 20 of these cases are linked, 13 of which are household contacts, and 21 remain unlinked with interviews underway.
· Given the number of unlinked cases each day, subclusters are not currently being used in the active management of the outbreak in Tāmaki Makaurau. Epidemiological links are being explored during case interviews and whole genome sequencing is being undertaken on all cases, but the focus is on isolating cases and identifying, testing, and isolating close contacts.
· There are now 31 people in hospital with COVID-19. Six of these cases are still in ICU or HDU. My whakaaro continue to be with these people and their whānau during this stressful time.
Update on our response in Waikato
· There is one new positive COVID-19 case to report from the Waikato outbreak. The case is a household member of two existing cases and is already in a quarantine facility in Tāmaki Makaurau.
· Waikato DHB is continuing to carry out region-wide testing, to help rule out any undetected community spread of COVID-19.
· Meanwhile, vaccination rates in Waikato remained high yesterday with 5,789 people receiving a dose – of these, 1,591 were first doses, and a further 4,198 were second doses.
· There continues to be positive COVID-19 detections in waste-water samples taken from Raglan. This reflects known cases in the area who have been granted exemptions to isolate at home. However, symptomatic locals are encouraged to get tested.
Update on our response in Te Tai Tokerau
· A Tāmaki Makaurau woman associated with the two women who travelled to Te Tai Tokerau has tested positive for COVID-19 and is in a Tāmaki Makaurau quarantine facility.
· Public health officials have determined she wasn’t infectious while she was up north between the 2nd and 8th of October. Her infectious period has been determined as beginning after she returned to Tāmaki Makaurau.
· Three household contacts and two other contacts have been identified by public health officials. These contacts follow a visit to a private home in Tāmaki Makaurau and shared transport to the testing centre.
· Heoi anō, testing remains steady in the rohe with 1,593 tests completed yesterday. Demand for vaccinations was strong too with 2,101 doses administered in total, including 719 first doses and 1,382 second doses.
Date: 15 October 2021 at 4:00:02 PM NZDT Subject: COVID-19 Response Update - 65 new cases and a reminder about Super Saturday
Kei ngā kahu pītongatonga o te motu, koutou e kaupare ake ana i ngā hau mākinakina o te wā, tēnā rawa atu koutou katoa. Hei whakamaumahara ake, tomorrow is Super Saturday. This is an opportunity for all of us to work towards increasing our vaccination rates across the motu. We’re asking everyone in Aotearoa to either get vaccinated or support someone else to get vaccinated this weekend. If you’ve already had your first or second shot, kei te pai tērā, heoi anō, please reach out to your friends, colleagues, and whānau, particularly those who are hesitant, and encourage them to take this opportunity to get protected. There will be more than 120 extra vaccination sites open across the country, with many sites operating with extended hours. There will also be a variety of events and prizes on offer in every rohe. The Covid Vaccination Healthline (0800 28 29 26) will also have extra staff available to answer any vaccine-related questions. Ka mutu, a live Vaxathon will run from midday to 8pm. The event will celebrate the rohe with the biggest change in vaccination numbers and will be supported by well-known celebrities, influences, and health professionals. With the end of the year quickly approaching, we need everyone to get their first dose of the vaccine now so they can get two doses and enjoy everything raumati has to offer. The more of us who are fully vaccinated, the more protection we will have against COVID-19, and the more freedom this gives us. You can learn more about Super Saturday, including kōrero on the events happening across the country, on the Unite Against COVID website. 65 new community cases in Aotearoa, all are in Tāmaki Makaurau
· Today, there are a total of 65 new community cases to report in Aotearoa; all of these are in Tāmaki Makaurau.
· There are no new cases to report in Waikato today, with the total number of cases in the rohe associated with this outbreak remaining at 37. Of these cases, two (who are within the same whare) are yet to be linked to another case, with interviews ongoing.
· The total number of cases associated with this outbreak is now 1,855. Of these, 1,189 have recovered giving us an active total of 666.
· Of today’s 65 new cases in Tāmaki Makaurau, 34 of these cases are linked, ten of whom are household contacts, and 31 remain unlinked with interviews underway.
· There are now 34 people in hospital with COVID-19. Six of these cases are in ICU or HDU. My whakaaro continue to be with these people and their whānau during this stressful time.
Update on our response in Waikato
· Waikato DHB is continuing to carry out region-wide testing, to help rule out any undetected community spread of COVID-19.
· Vaccination rates in Waikato remained high yesterday with 6,502 people vaccinated – of these, 1,939 people received their first dose, and 4,563 received their second dose and are now fully vaccinated. There were also around 3,500 swabs taken across the rohe.
· There are five community testing centres available across Waikato, including a pop-up testing centre in Te Awamutu following a second positive wastewater detection in the area.
· Public health officials have yet to identify anyone who returned to the area from managed isolation and quarantine and could be shedding the virus in the area.
· For this reason, anyone in the Te Awamutu area who has symptoms of COVID-19, or have whānau or household members who are symptomatic, or anyone who travels in and out of the area regularly for work, are urged to get tested as soon as possible.
· Anyone who has been at a location of interest at the relevant time and is now in Te Awamutu should also get tested.
· Location of testing sites in and around Te Awamutu and Waikato are available on the Healthpoint website and the Waikato DHB website.
Update on the COVID-19 vaccination roll-out
· Over 6.1 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered to date, including 3.5 million first doses and 2.6 million second doses.
· Yesterday, 68,003 vaccines were given around the motu. This included 15,121 first doses and 52,882 second doses. While it’s encouraging to see our second doses doing so well, it’s also important for us to increase our first doses to ensure as many eligible New Zealanders as possible are vaccinated before summer.
· For the Māori roll-out, 361,310 of our people have had one dose of the vaccine, and 236,057 have had their second dose. That means 63% of our people have had one dose and 41% have had their second dose and are fully vaccinated.
· As mentioned earlier, we need everyone to do their part this Super Saturday to help increase the vaccination numbers of all New Zealanders, but especially whānau Māori. Please help by letting your whānau know about the kaupapa and by getting vaccinated this weekend if you haven’t already done so. It’s safe, it’s free, and there are plenty of walk-in clinics available throughout the motu.