January 25, 2022
Self-reliance plan needed for Omicron
Former MP Shane Jones says Omicron may already be loose in the north, and whānau need to make preparations now for it spreading.
The Health Ministry reported 25 new Covid-19 cases today, including 10 Omicron cases.
The Omicron cluster cases were in Auckland, Tauranga, Nelson and Palmerston North, and were linked to a wedding and other family events in Auckland on the weekend of January 15 and 16.
Mr Jones says he’s heard of Covid cases in small settlements in the far north.
“The settlements get very nervous if you out them but obviously in Te Aupouri and Te Rarawa we’ve already got cases where it’s beginning to spread. Get vaccinated, go back to the principles and teachings we were reared on and you’ve got to look after yourselves, you’ve got to look after each other, you’ve got to have a plan,” he says.
Mr Jones says iwi organisations need to focus on practical measures like supporting people in isolation or facing economic hardship.