Rick Barker says although we are at red it is not a lockdown, so let's continue to support our local businesses while taking the appropriate precautions. Photo / NZME
Rick Barker says although we are at red it is not a lockdown, so let's continue to support our local businesses while taking the appropriate precautions. Photo / NZME
Tēnā koutou. As our first week under the red traffic light setting has now drawn to a close, and we gear up for the weeks ahead, it's timely to reflect on what life at red really means for Hawke's Bay.
Simply put, the red traffic light setting is about balance. Striking the right balance between leading a normal life, providing certainty to business and keeping our regional economy going, with our need to protect our people and slow down the spread of Omicron.
Yes, life at red means more mask requirements, reduced gathering limits and physical distancing safety measures. However, red is not lockdown. Businesses stay open, we can travel the country, and still visit friends and whānau, but we need to take all the sensible precautions to protect ourselves and others.
So, let's all continue to live our lives, go to work where appropriate, get coffee at our local cafes, dine out at our restaurants, and support our local businesses.
But we must also keep doing the fundamentals: Wear a mask whenever you leave the house to help prevent the virus from jumping from person to person; social distancing makes it more challenging for the virus to jump about; washing hands prevents a hand-off of the virus; and scan so the virus can be tracked. If you have even minor cold or flu symptoms, isolate, and get tested.
Rick Barker says together we will get through this pandemic. Photo / NZME
Vaccination is the best defence against Covid-19 and if it's been three months since your second vaccine dose, get your booster as soon as you can. The evidence is clear cut: boosters help to slow the spread of the virus and significantly lower your chances of getting very sick from Omicron and being hospitalised.
I want to acknowledge the uncertainty and anxiety felt across our region now that Omicron is beginning to circulate around the country. This is unsettling, particularly when we have collectively done so well at keeping Covid-19 at bay over the past two years.
The Government has done a fine job in what it's required to do - protect the people - but this is a tricky virus, and it has slipped through. We should not be unduly worried as we are much better prepared than the first time, with well over 90 per cent of our people now vaccinated.
Omicron is very infectious, and we will inevitably see far more cases emerge than we have seen in the past two years of the pandemic. When Omicron eventually hits our community, we could see a third of our workforce out of action ill or in isolation.
This could mean many businesses will be short of staff, and some services may slow down. This will be a passing phase and we will need to be patient. Things will still work, but not quite as we are used to.
When Omicron does come knocking at our door, I want to assure everyone in Hawke's Bay that as a region we are in a strong position to answer.
As the lead agency, the Hawke's Bay District Health Board is well organised and prepared. It has revised all its plans with the knowledge of the virus from other countries.
They are being supported by iwi, regional partners, government agencies and NGOs who are joined up and working together in a way they never have before, in preparation for this day. Systems are ready to identify and connect our vulnerable with essential support services. Regional leaders, mayors, MPs, iwi leaders, chairs and chief executives are meeting weekly. We are all on standby and ready to go.
And if we are going to take this virus on, it's better we do it in our summer months rather than winter.
Remember, we have resilient, supportive, and strong communities here in Hawke's Bay – I know we will take care of each other.
So, prepare yourselves. Don't panic. Be cautious. Take precautions. Be patient. Be understanding. And above all be considerate and helpful to all those around you.
