May 06, 2020
Dr Rawiri Taonui |COVID Māori Update 6 May 2020| Decision on Level 2
COVID Māori Update 6 May 2020| Decision on Level 2
Dr Rawiri Taonui
New Zealand Situation
New and Total Cases
There are 2 new cases today. With 1 probable case now re-defined as negative, total cases are 1488. There is 1 new death. Total deaths are 21. New cases are single-digit or ZERO for 18 consecutive days. The 10-day trend is: 5-3-2-3-3-6-2-0-0-2. Clearly, we have not eliminated COVID-19.
Recovered and Active Cases
In another key index, 1316 or 88.4% of all cases have recovered. Every recovery is one less risk. There is a new low for active cases of 151, the lowest number of active cases since 24 March. We are tracking toward less than 100 active cases in 5 days (11 May) when the government will decide whether we move to Level 2.
Testing
There were 4,772 tests yesterday. There are 160,700 in total. This is 32,140 tests per million. The highest testing countries are all above 30,000 tests per million.
Māori
There is 1 new Māori case today. The total is 127. The 10-day trend runs: 0-0-1-0-0-0-0-0-0-1. Credit to the leaders and communities who have been to the forefront of protecting our communities.
With typical inaccurate ethnic data, the Ministry of Health says Māori are 8% of all cases. Māori stay at 8.5%. The single decimal place is important for tracking the current trend.
Pacific Peoples
In particularly good news, there are ZERO new Pacific cases again today. The total stays at 79. The 10-day trend runs: 1-0-1-1-0-1-2-0-0-0.
With typical inaccuracy on ethnic data, the Ministry of Health says Pacific are 5.0% of all cases. Pacific cases are 5.3%.
Māori and Pacific Percentage Cases
The following table presents Māori and Pacific cases compared to the ethnic demographic from 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. Those most at risk are MELAA (Middle East, Latin American, African), European and Asian.
Latest Testing Data
The latest testing data is out, dated 30 April. After publishing testing data for Māori yesterday, I took a bet with my whānau that the Ministry would update data today. Newly updated testing figures came out this morning.
This is the 4th time the Ministry has updated ethnic data or changed how they present ethnic data the day after I challenged their ethnic data. Of interest, I received a reply to my Official Information Act request on Tuesday saying the Ministry is too busy to produce the data I requested. Yet here is much of it today. Well done Ministry of Health. Keep up the irregular good work.
The mobilisation of Māori and Pacific Health Providers has made a stark difference to the testing of Māori and Pacific communities.
The latest data shows that the average rate for testing per1000 of the population for Māori (24.0) and Pacific (29.0). are over the national average (22.5).
The data for 18 April shows that Māori were being under-tested in 16 out of 20 DHBs and Pacific in 215 of 20 DHBs.
The pattern of the last report repeats. There has been significantly good testing of our communities in the Northern Region and the Waikato. This effort has extended into the regions where, for example, in less than one week, Māori health providers have made a massive contribution to testing rates for our people in Te Tai Rāwhiti and Taranaki. Beyond that, the effort thins out in regions further from large urban areas.
Māori remain undertested in 7 DHBs. Pacific are undertested in 9. Pākehā are marginally under-tested in 5. The Asian community is under-tested by nearly 38% across the board in all DHBs. The Ministry must address this before we move from Level 3. There is a risk of significant racism against the Asian community.
Moving to Level 2
On 11 May, the government will decide whether we stay at Level 3 or move to Level 2. We need more ZERO new cases days, be well below 50 active cases, and address remaining significant gaps in testing for non-European Māori, Pacific and Asian communities before we can confidently move from Level 3. Subject to testing data not yet released between 30 April and today, at this stage, a best call would be to stay one more week at Level 3.
Noho haumaru stay safe and self-sovereign, Dr Rawiri Taonui.
Copyright © 2020, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com