August 18 2021
There are now seven Covid-19 cases in the community, with two additional cases to report from the five announced this morning. The outbreak is the Delta strain of the virus and it came from NSW, Australia.
The restart of the Covid-19 vaccine rollout in the Bay of Plenty region will not be smooth sailing.
District health boards were forced to stop vaccinations after the discovery of a community case in Auckland and the subsequent plunge into level 4 lockdown.
As the nation moves into its second day of lockdown, DHBs have been given the all-clear to start vaccinating again but Lakes DHB won't be doing so until Friday.
Vaccination centres in Rotorua and Taupō would be open seven days a week, with first doses and essential workers at the front of the line, a Lakes DHB spokeswoman said.
"To allow for delivery under level 4 conditions, some appointments for Friday will be rescheduled to Sunday; some appointments for Saturday will be rescheduled for Monday," she said.
"Future mobile clinics and in-house special events may also need to be rescheduled. Further communication will be relayed as we know what we are able to deliver."
Lakes District Health Board will resume Covid vaccinations on Friday. Photo / NZME
Vaccinations across the Bay of Plenty DHB would commence today, Covid-19 incident controller Trevor Richardson said.
He said the DHB was working closely with primary care providers to ensure there was enough testing capacity, with additional resources having been made available at the Second Avenue Health Centre in Tauranga.
"Plans are in place to 'stand up' additional capacity if we need to meet a significant increase in testing demand," Richardson said. STORY CONTINUES AFTER LIVE BLOG
STORY CONTINUES "People with Covid-19 symptoms should continue to call their GP or primary healthcare provider for advice and assessment. People who have visited a location/s of interest and are symptomatic should call Healthline on 0800 358 5453."
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced DHBs would stop vaccinating during her Tuesday address to the nation following the community case discovery.
The 58-year-old man from Devonport has the Delta variant of the virus, which is known to be more severe and spreads more easily than the original form of Covid-19.
As of 6.30pm yesterday, there were 10 Covid-19 community cases.
Ardern said vaccinations were paused to allow DHBs to implement their contingency plans for a level 4 lockdown, which have since been activated.
"The most important message is from 8am [today] the vaccination programme will resume throughout New Zealand."
Vaccine appointments may have been postponed due to the pause and Ardern said anyone affected would be notified. Those booked for a vaccine and hadn't heard anything were urged to carry on as normal and attend their appointment.
People aged 40 or over were also now able to make online bookings for a vaccine, Ardern said.
Meanwhile, hospital staff in the Bay of Plenty are working to rearrange routine outpatient and other non-acute service appointments as Covid-19 enforced restrictions take place.
Bay of Plenty District Health Board chief executive Pete Chandler said the region's health network mobilised immediately following the lockdown announcement.
"A 90-minute implementation zoom was held [Tuesday] night with over 50 people from primary care and the DHB, working together to ensure level 4 health system actions are activated as quickly as possible.
"We will need to rearrange routine hospital outpatient and other non-acute service appointments very quickly and we would remind everyone that new level 4 visitor restrictions now have to be applied to keep everyone safe."
Bay of Plenty District Health Board chief executive Pete Chandler. Photo / NZME
A Lakes District Health Board spokeswoman said all elective and outpatient services had been cancelled as a result of the nationwide lockdown.
At this stage, the services are cancelled for the rest of the week and would be rescheduled.
"Dialysis and chemotherapy treatments will continue as a critical service.
"Dental clinic appointments in the Community Oral Health Service have also been cancelled for the next three days and community mental health clinics have been cancelled for three days, with urgents [sic] seen where possible."
Visitor restrictions had also been put in place, with no one allowed on the grounds of facilities apart from a birthing partner, parent or guardian of a child aged under 14. Two visitors of a patient receiving end-of-life care may also attend.
"Patients needing to come to Rotorua Hospital enter through the main entrance and at Taupō Hospital, entry for the public is via the Emergency Department," the spokeswoman said.
"People who do have to come into the hospitals will be asked some simple health questions and will need to wear a mask."
