October 01, 2021
COVID fears trap kaumātua at home
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A south Auckland Māori warden says kaumātua are trapped in their homes because of fear of COVID-19.
Thomas Henry says wardens have been actively delivering food parcels and checking on the welfare of kuia and kaumātua, especially in retirement villages and Kainga Ora complexes.
“Our whaea comes out and of course they are going to talk to the Māori wardens and say ‘we’re a bit frightened matua because a lot of our people haven’t been vaccinated. How can we get vaccinated?’ They’re old. They’re frail. They’re too frightened to come out,” he says.
Mr Henry says new mobile vans launched this week should help get vaccination numbers up.