An email update from John Whaanga, Deputy Director-General, Māori Health Directorate:
August 28th 2021
Pērā rawa i te ua ka heke mai i te rangi ko te manaakitanga o te Atua ka tau mai ki runga i a tātou i tēnei mutunga wiki, tēnā tātou katoa.
As we rest and reflect in our bubbles this weekend, let’s celebrate the gains we’ve made since the latest outbreak started. We’ve experienced days with record numbers of Māori being vaccinated, providers have been leading the way on the frontline, and whānau have turned up in droves to get tested. All of this is helping to circle Delta, lock it down, and stamp it out.
As well as reflecting on our collective success, we should be spending time with our whānau and friends, because physical isolation doesn’t have to mean social isolation. Nā reira, reach out to those who are alone in their bubbles, organise a Zui or Zinu with your friends, and check on your neighbours.
We’ve still got awhile to go in beating this virus e te whānau, so it’s important we take time to rest where we can.
Latest update on the outbreak
There are 82 new community cases in Aotearoa, to confirm today. All of these are in Tāmaki Makaurau. This brings the total number of cases to 429.
The total number of cases in Tāmaki Makaurau is 415 and in Pōneke it’s 14.
There are 376 cases that have been clearly epidemiologically linked to another case or sub-cluster, and a further 53 for which links are yet to be fully established.
All of the cases have or are being transferred safely to a quarantine facility, under strict infection prevention and control procedures, including the use of full PPE.
Mâori vaccinations numbers continuing to rise
Yesterday 89,316 vaccines were administered - the second biggest daily total to date. Of these 65,011 were first doses and 24,305 were second doses.
More than 3.2 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered to date. Of these, 2.1 million are first doses and more than 1.1 million are second doses.
More than 188,776 Māori have received their first vaccination and more than 102,000 have also had their second vaccinations.
It’s encouraging to see these numbers rising for whānau Māori, but we still have more mahi to do if we want to see our people fully vaccinated.
Please keep encouraging your friends and whānau to book in for their vaccine as soon as possible. It’s safe and it’s free.
Be a doer! Karawhiua – COVID-19 vaccination campaign for Māori
While you’re resting over the weekend, make sure to check out the Karawhiua website and campaign material.
Karawhiua is a unifying campaign for whānau Māori to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. It’s led by Te Puni Kôkiri, co-delivered by Te Hiringa Hauora, and supported by teams at Unite Against COVID and Te Manatū Hauora.
Just recently, they’ve released a series of short clips of whānau from Te Tai Rāwhiti who are working hard to build community immunity. You can watch these on the Te Puni Kōkiri YouTube channel.
They’ve also got heaps of resources available for you to share on your own channels or with friends and whānau, including more videos, posters, factsheets, and social media assets.
Delivering campaigns and communications content that resonate with Māori is an important part of our COVID-19 response, nā reira e mihi ana ki te tīma o Karawhiua for helping to keep our communities safe.
Testing still a priority for our COVID-19 response
Testing nationwide remains an essential part of our response to this outbreak. It gives us confidence in understanding the extent of any spread of COVID-19.
Our advice remains the same – ahakoa kei hea koe, if you were at a location of interest, at the specified times, or have cold and flu symptoms, please call Healthline on 0800 358 5453 for advice on testing.
By calling Healthline, people who have been at locations of interest at relevant times are logged into the contact tracing system. This means their swab can be tracked and processed faster by the laboratories.
For up-to-date information on all testing locations, please visit the Healthpoint website.
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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, Unite Against COVID, and Karawhiua channels.
For guidance on protecting yourself and your whānau from COVID-19 misinformation and scams, visit the Unite Against COVID website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me or my team at: maorihealth@health.govt.nz