Covid-19: Three new locations of interest linked to Hawke's Bay community case
Three locations of interest linked to a community Covid-19 case have been revealed, as the Ministry of Health provides an update on today's cases nationwide.
Just before 1pm today, the Ministry revealed the community case, who tested positive for the virus as part of routine surveillance swabbing when they visited Hawke’s Bay Hospital’s Emergency Department last night.
The person is now isolating safely along with household contacts and testing of contacts identified is already underway.
The first three Hawke's Bay locations of interest:
- Lick this Ice Cream Parlour, Napier, Sunday November 21, 2pm-3pm
- Pak'nSave Napier, Thursday, November 25, 8.30pm-10pm
- Unichem Stortford Lodge Pharmacy, Hastings, Saturday November 27, 4.15pm-5.15pm
The second case in the region has been included in the 144 new community cases around the country today. Of the new cases, 127 are in Auckland, nine in Waikato, four in the Bay of Plenty, two in Northland and one in Hawke's Bay.
Another person died of the virus at North Shore Hospital yesterday evening.
The patient, who was in their 80s, was admitted to hospital on Thursday, November 25 and received "appropriate ward-level care", the Ministry said in a statement.
"Our thoughts are with the patient’s whânau and friends at this deeply sad time."
Booster vaccinations start
Booster vaccinations will be available throughout Aotearoa from Monday. While the priority is still getting people fully vaccinated, healthcare, border workers and kaumātua who have been fully vaccinated for six months or more can now get their boosters, Director General Ashley Bloomfield said today.
“Vaccination is the best protection against COVID-19. Booster doses will be available free for anyone in New Zealand aged 18 or older who has completed their two-dose course more than six months ago,” Dr Bloomfield said.
“We’re particularly keen to make sure our healthcare and border workers – who are most at risk of coming in contact with COVID-19, and older people including kaumātua and those in residential care are aware that boosters are available from Monday, and that they’re eligible if they completed their course of Pfizer more than six months ago.
“Work is already happening around the motu to ensure boosters are available in the same way your normal two shots are available – at vaccination sites, GPs and pharmacies, and on-site in aged residential care facilities (ARCs).
DHBs are working hard to reach those who were in the early priority groups of the vaccine rollout, particularly border and healthcare workers, older Māori and Pacific people, and those in ARCs.
NRHCC, which runs the vaccine rollout on behalf of Auckland DHBs, starts its outreach activity at aged residential care facilities this week at Kenderdine Park Rest Home in Papatoetoe - the first rest home the DHBs started vaccinating at, when it kicked off its vaccination outreach to ARCs back in April 2021.
Bay of Plenty DHB will begin its booster programme among ARC residents, planning to administer around 2,000 doses by Christmas.
Down south, Southern DHB is working with local Māori and Pasifika providers to ensure over 65s in their communities get the opportunity to receive a booster dose.
“People will be able to access boosters in New Zealand, whether they received their earlier doses here or overseas.
“The Pfizer vaccine will be used for boosters, regardless of which vaccine was used for earlier doses.
“There’s no need to rush to get the booster. The science shows fully vaccinated people remain really well protected from infection, and from being seriously ill if they do get COVID-19. There is plenty of existing stock of the Pfizer vaccine in New Zealand and this will not run out.
“And while the booster programme is an important next step in our pandemic response, increasing the vaccination coverage of first and second doses, particularly for Māori, Pacific and disabled communities, remains our number one priority in our nationwide vaccination rollout, particularly with COVID in the community and as new strains emerge,” said Dr Bloomfield.
“Please encourage your whānau and friends to get vaccinated”.
