Tararua community urged to remain vigilant to any symptoms of Covid

The iwi mobile van with staff inside at dannevirke.

There are 25 new cases of Covid-19 to report today in the MidCentral rohe (region). We now have active cases in Manawatū, Palmerston North, Horowhenua and Ōtaki.

We do not know of any active cases of Covid-19 in Tararua, however, with the volume of cases across the country, we encourage the Tararua community to remain vigilant to any symptoms of Covid-19.

We have been advised of a number of positive cases at Horowhenua College. The college is being supported by the Ministry of Education and is contacting close contacts directly.

We no longer have access to the same level of detail about each individual case as we did earlier in the outbreak.

This is because our focus has now moved from 'stamp it out' (the key purpose of phase 1), to 'flattening the curve' and protecting our most vulnerable by lessening the impact of the outbreak on health services.

With more than 18,000 active cases across the country, we have to assume that Covid-19 is transmitting within our communities. This means that the way we report cases needs to change.

We understand that this change has happened quickly and that our communities are used to having a much higher level of detail than we are now able to provide given the volume of cases at a national level.

We will continue to update our reporting as new data becomes available.

If you are wondering what this means for you or your community, the message is simple.

Given the number of Covid-19 cases around the country, you should assume you may have been exposed to Covid-19 and isolate and get tested if you experience any cold or flu symptoms.

To find where to get tested for Covid-19, please visit HealthPoint https://bit.ly/MDHBTest or call the Healthline on 0800 358 5453.

Boosters are our best protection against Omicron. You can now get your booster dose three months after your second dose if you are over 18.

For a list of all vaccination clinics in MidCentral, please visit https://bit.ly/MidCentralHP".