December 31, 2021
Reuben Taipari: Red light important for Taitokerau
Reuben Taipari is pleased that Northland will remain with the red light Covid system as the Taitokerau team of volunteers continue to work to keep their kaumātua and communities safe.
Taipari is disappointed that the border patrols are not happening as the police claim their resources are stretched despite a large presence still in the area.
Taipari says they ran an excellent campaign with the police at Uretiti, south of Whangārei, when Auckland’s borders reopened and another before Christmas. They had hoped to run at least one more patrol leading into the New Year but that is not going to happen.
They are asking people to be vigilant at all times. Despite their concerns, Taipari says Christmas was great with whānau coming home either double vaccinated or with negative tests. Through testing, other whānau found out they were positive for Covid and opted to stay home.
The checkpoints were not just about Covid but also about road safety and asking people to slow down. They received positive reports back from the public and police.
While Te Taitokerau is the only region still sitting at red, Taipari sees it as a good thing as this is the most dangerous time for the far North.
“Summer is a busy time with those coming home, visitors for Christmas and New Year’s followed closely with Waitangi Day. While the Waitangi Trust have cancelled the formal occasion, there are still other activities happening.”
Taipari feels that if the region is dropped to orange, then people will be less vigilant. The threat of Omicron and its impact on Māori is definitely not underestimated by those working on the border patrols and they are still vaccinating in the far North.
Taipari says they have had no holidays so haven’t stopped working. As a collective, they feel responsible to uphold the health and safety of their elders.
He is pleased with the response and congratulates people for doing the right thing. Now, they just need to remain positive.
“We’ve got a great team from throughout the North and it’s a privilege to be part of this work. We just have to keep supporting the red light protocols until after Waitangi.”