E mihi ana ki ō tātou tini aituā kua rūmene atu ki te pō. Kei ngā rau kahurangi huri noa i te motu, moe mai rā koutou katoa. Tauārai ko te pō, tītoko ko te ao mārama. Nei rā ngā mihi matakuikui ki a tātou e hōkai tonu nei i te mata o te whenua. Kia manawanui tonu tātou ki te aro ki ngā tikanga noho taratahi ki te kāinga, ki ō tātou mirumiru hoki. Kia mahara ki ngā ture: me mau tō ārai waha, me horoi ō ringaringa, me noho ki te kāinga. Kia kaha hoki tātou ki te whai i te rongoā āraimate kia haumaru ai tātou katoa i te KOWHEORI-19.
Our aroha and karakia go out to those whānau who are mourning the loss of loved ones at this time, especially with the additional challenge of tangihanga in the lockdown context.
This afternoon the Prime Minister announced a further extension of our nationwide lockdown until 11:59pm, Friday 27 August. While this is undoubtedly the right move to protect us all from the virus, it is a further blow to the many whānau and businesses who are already suffering. Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu has been advocating for additional support to be funnelled into our communities, and will be working closely with the Whānau Ora network to support the amazing work already being done across the motu.
As expected, we have seen an increased demand for our Puna fund over the past five days, as whānau feel the pinch. Our team has been working tirelessly to process a backlog of applications, working through the weekend to ensure that applications can be responded to in a timely fashion. The fund remains open and we encourage whānau to apply if they need a little extra support making ends meet as a result of lockdown.
Key information
I know there is a great deal of information coming out every day, and it can be difficult to keep on top of it. We have condensed these key updates to the following, and we are also regularly updating our website:
There are 35 new cases today, bringing the total to 107. This includes 99 cases in Auckland and 8 cases in Wellington.
The source of the current outbreak has been identified and work is continuing to identify the missing links between the border and the first positive case.
Over 300 locations of interest have been identified. Anyone who visited these locations at the stated date and time must self-isolate, contact Healthline on 0800 358 5453 and get tested.
Household members of people who were at locations of interest must also self-isolate until that person has returned a negative test.
Testing stations remain open and are experiencing high demand. It is important that you get tested if you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 or if you visited a location of interest at the stated date and time.
Visit Health Point to find testing centres near you.
The vaccination roll-out is continuing and anyone with an existing booking should attend their appointment unless notified otherwise.
Māori and Pasifika whānau can be vaccinated together when one member of the family is eligible. Call 0800 28 29 26 to make a booking.
Parents and guardians who are eligible can book their 12-15 year old children to be vaccinated with them.
It is now compulsory for anyone over the age of 12 to wear a mask when visiting essential services or using public transport. It is also recommended that masks are worn whenever leaving the house.
It is now mandatory for businesses and events to make sure people are keeping records of their visits, either by scanning QR codes with the COVID-19 Tracer app or by signing into a written logbook. This applies at any alert level, not just while we are in lockdown.
Vaccinations
Although there are no current cases in Te Waipounamu, we need to accept that COVID-19 is here to stay. Further outbreaks are inevitable and the best thing whānau can do to protect one another is to get vaccinated. From the beginning of the pandemic, Māori and Pasifika were identified as being most at risk, due to higher rates of existing health conditions, greater rates of unmet healthcare need and greater levels of poverty, as well as the increased likelihood of working and living in crowded environments. This risk is exacerbated by the development of the highly infectious and more severe Delta variant, as well the low uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine by Māori and Pasifika communities.
Thanks to the trust and relationships built over many years, many of our Whānau Ora partners have been able to dispel a lot of uncertainty around the vaccine and improve uptake in their communities. The issue we face now is the huge demand for vaccination bookings. Some services are beginning to trial walk-in and drive-through clinics, and we hope to see these replicated across the motu in the coming weeks. In the meantime, you can see a full list of vaccination clinics by region here - and if you are aware of any additional opportunities for whānau to get vaccinated, please let us know and we will share the details on our Facebook and website.
Check out this incredible video filmed at a recent vaccination clinic at Rāpaki Marae. Whānau, including our kaimahi Kylie-Jane Phillips, share the reasons they have chose to get vaccinated.
The four golden rules
During today's update, the Prime Minister gave us very clear instructions as to how we can all contribute to stamping the virus out:
1. Stay at home, except for essential reasons. Wear a mask when leaving the house.
2. If you are a close contact, isolate at home. Leave only to get a COVID-19 test.
3. Wash and dry your hands regularly, sneeze into your elbow and scan in at essential services.
4. Get vaccinated. Now is the time to drive up our numbers.
