The deadline for workers at Napier Port to get their first jab is midnight Thursday. Photo / Paul Taylor
The deadline for workers at Napier Port to get their first jab is midnight Thursday. Photo / Paul Taylor
A small number of workers at Napier Port face an uncertain future if they don't receive their first Covid jab by the imminent deadline.
Border workers including port staff who deal closely with international ships have until midnight on Thursday to get their first jab.
The Ministry of Health has confirmed there are still a small number of people who work at Napier Port yet to receive their first jab, despite being required to do so.
A Ministry of Health spokesman did not reveal the exact number but said - as at Tuesday night - 2 per cent of the relevant workers at Napier Port were yet to get the first dose.
"For all active border workers living in the Hawke's Bay DHB of residence ... 97 per cent in total have had at least one vaccination," he said.
"For port workers, which are a subset of this group, 98 per cent in total have been vaccinated with at least one dose."
It is understood about 500 people work at the port in varying roles and capacities, but the order does not relate to all staff as many don't work directly with the ships.
About 500 workers work at Napier Port. Photo / Paul Taylor
"Some (workers) will no longer be able to work in affected roles at the border after (Thursday), while others have been vaccinated but are not yet showing as such, and others are booked for their vaccination today or tomorrow," the spokesman said.
"The Hawke's Bay DHB has just recently run a mop-up clinic for port workers ... and are strongly encouraging all remaining workers to take the opportunity to be vaccinated."
A Napier Port spokeswoman said all their relevant staff had been vaccinated but she could not speak for private companies who also work at the port.
"All Napier Port employees who are frontline border workers (Tier 1A) are fully vaccinated, and have been for many months as soon as vaccines were available," she said.
"Over and above that, many of our non-frontline employees are also vaccinated."
Maritime Union of NZ national secretary Craig Harrison said across the country there had been a late push even this week with workers getting their first jab.
"I think for Napier Port the health and safety team put a lot of effort into getting the information out and the companies that work on the port have tried really hard (to inform staff about the need to get jabbed)," he said.
"The ships will go to the ports that will be working and I think Napier will be alright."
Harrison previously told Hawke's Bay Today that he guessed less than 50 per cent of all workers at Napier Port were affected by the order as many did not work with the ships directly.
