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E ngā manu tūtei e ārahi ana i te pōkai hauora Māori, tēnā rā koutou katoa.
Today, we are sadly reporting that two people with COVID-19 have recently passed away. A man in his 30s, who passed at home on 5 January, was tested for COVID-19 post-death and returned a positive result. Another man in his 60s sadly died with COVID-19 at Middlemore Hospital on Sunday.
Nā reira, my whakaaro are with their whānau and friends at this deeply sad time while they grieve their loved ones.
Unfortunately, COVID-19 deaths are a stark reminder for us all, of the devastating impact this virus can have. Heoi anō, the vaccine remains our key defence against all variants of COVID-19, including Omicron.
It is encouraging to report that 40 per cent of those eligible, have had their booster dose of the vaccine. Since last November when boosters became available, 594,947 doses have now been administered.
I want to take the opportunity to mihi to our rangatahi. As of yesterday, more than 90 per cent of 12 to 15-year-olds, of the total population, are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
I continue to encourage all eligible whānau to please get vaccinated, it’s not too late to protect themselves and those around them.
Today, there are 28 new COVID-19 cases to report in the community. Yesterday there were 14 cases reported. It is encouraging to see these lower community case numbers as we are continuing to see an increase in testing numbers.
I want to thank all whānau who have supported our response by getting tested over the holiday period. Heoi anō, we know case numbers can be quite variable from day to day and it remains likely that there will be an increase in the coming days.
It’s important whānau continue to get tested for COVID-19, even if they are vaccinated or have minor symptoms. Testing locations all around the motu can be found on the Healthpoint website.
I urge everyone to remain vigilant and to continue to uphold our tikanga hauora and traffic light settings. That means wearing a mask or face covering, physical distancing in crowded or unventilated spaces, and scanning in using the COVID-19 Tracer app or keeping a manual diary.
Mask, scan, pass – these are the three key things to remember at any traffic light setting.
General update – 28 new cases, 31 people in hospital, and 82% of Māori are fully vaccinated
There are a total of 28 new community cases to report in Aotearoa today: 17 are in Tāmaki Makaurau, one is in Waikato, four are in the Bay of Plenty, four cases are in the Lakes area, and five in Canterbury.
This brings the total number of cases associated with this outbreak to 14,473.
For the Māori vaccination rollout, 88 percent of our people have had one dose of the vaccine and 82 percent have had their second and are fully vaccinated.
17 new cases in Tāmaki Makaurau
There are 17 new cases being reported in Tāmaki Makaurau today.
Health and welfare providers are now supporting 888 people in the region to isolate at home, including 185 cases.
One new case in Waikato
There is one new case in the Waikato today. The case is in Ātiamuri and is being managed by Toi Te Ora Public Health.
Pop-up testing sites are operating in Whangamatā, Te Kûiti, Taumarunui, Tokoroa, Ōtorohanga, Putāruru, Huntly and Kirikiriroa today.
Public Health, primary care and manaaki providers are supporting 29 cases to isolate at home.
Four new cases in Bay of Plenty
There are four cases to report in Tauranga today, all of which are close contacts of previously reported cases.
All cases are isolating at home or in managed accommodation.
Four new cases in Lakes
There are four cases to report in Rotorua today.
One case is a close contact of a previously reported case, and three are still being investigated for links to previously reported cases.
All cases are isolating at home or in managed accommodation.
New community cases in Canterbury.
There is a total of four community cases in Canterbury and one in South Canterbury, including two announced yesterday.
This total of five includes three new cases being announced today, two are close contacts of previously reported case and one remains under investigation. Three of these five cases will be formally added to the case numbers tomorrow.
Investigations are continuing but it’s expected there will be new locations of interest around Christchurch. Please continue to check the Ministry’s Locations of Interest page, which is regularly updated.
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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 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.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me or my team at Māorihealth@health.govt.nz
Mā te Atua tātou e manaaki i roto i ngā āhuatanga o te wā,
Nāhaku me aku mihi aroha.
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