A daily wrap of all the main developments in the Covid-19 Delta outbreak as New Zealand is plunged into lockdown for the fifth time. Video / NZ Herald
The Te Arawa Covid-19 Response Hub has swung into action after New Zealand went back into lockdown.
The Hub was formed during the 2020 lockdown to coordinate and combine resources and provide support to whānau across Rotorua and the wider rohe.
It includes more than 60 hapū, trusts, health providers and organisations.
Hub Chairman, Monty Morrison, said the Hub's priority was the safety and health of iwi and whānau, and they were working with hapū and organisations across the rohe to ensure support is available during this latest lockdown.
"This is clearly a rapidly developing situation and we know there are many people working across our hapū and iwi to ensure we're all in the best position possible to awhi our whānau – in whatever way that may be.
"While we all hope this is a short, sharp lockdown to protect Aotearoa New Zealand and its people, we are planning for any potential extension and ensuring we have the right contacts, systems, communications and people in place to provide whatever support our hapū might need.
"Our key objective remains in place – to keep our whānau safe from Covid-19, he said.
"We know people may be anxious, we know some may be struggling, and we say to them: we are here to help – lean on us, hoea te waka ki uta ra," Morrison said.
Project Lead Karen Vercoe said the Hub and its operational team met this morning to gather and share information and set priorities for the next 24 hours. "Our priority for the next 24 hours is connecting with hapū and marae across the rohe and ensuring they have the information and support they might need to awhi their whānau.
"We know some hapū are already well underway with supporting their whānau and we're simply here to support in whatever way is required."
Vercoe said another core priority was the Hub's support of the vaccination rollout.
"While fully vaccinated, some people could still catch the virus, but the effects of it are much less and people are less likely to need hospitalisation.
"This latest outbreak provides further evidence of the urgency required to get as many people vaccinated, at least with the first dose, as soon as possible."
Following the Ministry of Health's guidelines, vaccinations were paused today, but will resume at 8am on Thursday.
The Hub will provide an update in the next 24 hours regarding its planned outreach clinic at Tunohopu this weekend.
