Dr Rawiri Taonui | COVID Māori Update 1 May 2020 | A Warning for Māori from Waitākere Hospital

Photo images supplied / Dr Rawiri Taonui

COVID Māori Update 1 May 2020 | A Warning for Māori from Waitākere Hospital
Dr Rawiri Taonui

This is a shorter update today as I work on Māori data re: testing and the debate around testing.

Māori

There are no new Māori cases today for the 8th time in ten days there have been no new cases. The total is 126. The Ministry says Māori are 9% of all cases. We are 8.5% of all cases. Over the last 10 days, new cases have run 0-0-0-1-0-0-0-1-0-0. While the figures are positive, we need caution that against low levels of Māori testing in several DHBs.

Pacific Peoples

There are no new Pacific cases today. The total stays at 76. Pacific are 5.1% of all cases. Over the last 10 days, new cases have run 1-1-1-1-3-1-0-1-1-0. The slightly higher positive tests coming from the Pacific community probably relate to thorough testing of Pacific in the Auckland and Waikato regions and under-testing in Māori communities in other regions.

Māori and Pacific Percentage Cases

The following table presents Māori and Pacific cases alongside the Ministry of Health’s model of the population which allocates one identity per person for anyone who, for example, identifies as Māori and Pacific, and, Census 2018 which allows a person to self-identify with more than one ethnicity.

New and Total Cases

There are 3 new cases today. Total cases are 1479. There are no new deaths. The total stays at 19. New cases are single digit for 13 consecutive days 9-9-5-6-3-5-5-9-5-3-2-3-3.

We have not yet seen a stream of 0 new cases. This is necessary if we are to have confidence in moving from Level 3 on 11 May.

Recovered and Active Cases

1252 or 85% of all cases have recovered. Every recovery is one less risk. There is a new low for active cases of 208. We are on track for active cases to fall below 50 by 11 May when the government will consider moving down from Level 3. We will want to see this drop more quickly.

Waitākere Hospital

Three new recent cases are staff from Waitākere Hospital who were working with the cluster from St Margaret’s Aged Care Facility. This is a concern as current information is that all PPE protocols were properly followed. Waitākere is a reminder for Māori and Pacific communities that COVID-19 is highly infectious, it is likely there will be further outbreaks, and we have so far staved off a significant outbreak in our communities but need to stay vigilant at all times.

Clusters

There are no new clusters. One cluster is closing today, another tomorrow, and as more people recover 6 further clusters will close in the next few days.

Testing

There were 5,328 tests yesterday. There are 139,898 in total. This is 27,980 per million. We are now testing above several other countries of our size.
 

                           Noho haumaru stay safe and self-sovereign, Dr Rawiri Taonui.

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