Rātū, 16 Whiringa-ā-.Rangi 2021

COVID-19 Update Pānui no. #79.

If you have symptoms of the coronavirus, call the NZ Covid-19 Healthline on 0800 358 5453

Tukunga mā te ture anō te ture e āki.

Today is the first day that unvaccinated kaimahi, whānau, and kaiāwhina are restricted from Kōhanga Reo licensed premises. The reality of today has come and will no doubt have shaken the core of our kaimahi, whānau, and Kōhanga Reo. Its effects are resonating across the education sector, health sector, and many businesses and industries. We are not isolated in our dilemma, and we will remain determined to overcome this because we have to for our kaupapa, whānau, and mokopuna.

We have promoted te pou tuawha of our kaupapa as the guiding principle for vaccinations. Now, we need to introduce the other pou: tū tika, tū pono, and be accountable to our kaupapa. A reminder that Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust is bound to comply with the regulations that govern Kōhanga Reo and ECE’s to be accountable for the funding we receive.

All Kaimahi must be registered with Edge. Non-compliance puts the mokopuna and kaupapa at risk. If you decide to not be vaccinated, pai tēnā, but we cannot falsify information or act contrary to the ture that we sit under.

We are hopeful that there may be changes over time, but for now, we have a record of 222 new cases in the community and the continual lowering of restrictions. Covid is also spreading to more of our communities.

Nō reira ko te kōrero whakamutunga ki tēra o ngā kuia i mate atu i te hohipera, haere koe i runga i ngā parirau o te aroha, ko te korowai o te manaaki kia ūhia ki te whānau pani.

Tātou e tau nei i runga i te aroha nui tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.

A reminder that Waikato moves to Level 2 from 11:59 pm tonight, November 16.

Current Situation

Today, there are 222 new cases in the community:

• 197 in Tāmaki Makaurau
• 20 in Waikato
• 1 in Northland
• 2 in Wairarapa
• 2 in Lakes, Rotorua.

This brings our total community cases in the current outbreak to 5,973.

There are:

• 91 people in hospital
• 7 in ICU/HDU.

The average age of hospitalisations now sits at 48.

Today’s case numbers include new cases in Northland, Tāmaki, Waikato, Taupo, and the Wairarapa. Ongoing investigations are determining a common link between cases reported in Taupo, Tararua, and Masterton.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the whānau of the person in their late-70s who passed away at Auckland City Hospital.

Vaccination Rates of Eligible People by DHB (with active cases) 

• Northland DHB: 83% first doses and 72% second doses 
• Tāmaki DHB: 93% first doses and 86% second doses 
• Waikato DHB: 89% first doses and 79% second doses 
• Taranaki DHB: 88% first doses and 76% second doses
• Canterbury DHB: 94% first doses and 82% second doses 
• Rotorua DHB:85% first doses and 74% second doses
• MidCentral DHB: 89% first doses and 79% second doses
• Wairarapa DHB: 89% first doses and 79% second doses

Māori Statistics to reach 90% 

https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-data-and-statistics/covid-19-vaccine-data#total-vaccinations 

For the Māori roll-out, 790,847 (77%) of our whānau have received one dose, and 350,115 (61%) are fully vaccinated.

Pānui Reminders

All our pānui are uploaded to our Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust website. You can access our past pānui here.

Tikanga Haumaru

Alert Level 3, Step 2, for Tāmaki Makaurau

Kōhanga Reo can open and with bubble sizes of up to 20 mokopuna. Bubbles must be in separate rooms or spaces.

Changes can occur but only in certain circumstances, for example, when a mokopuna leaves to start kura.

They can then be replaced with a new tamaiti. You can also add new tamariki to bubbles that have not yet reached a maximum of 20 tamariki. Providing you can maintain the three square-metres per child indoor measurement and meet other public health measures.

A reminder of the existing layers of protection that remain a priority in Alert Level 3 Kōhanga:

• Staying away if sick and calling Healthline to determine whether you need a test
• Getting vaccinated for those who are eligible
• Good ventilation
• Physical distancing as much as it is practicable
• Good cough and sneeze etiquette, and
• Regular handwashing

Here are some resources for Kōhanga Reo at Alert Level 3, Step 2:

• Guidance
• Summary table

Tikanga Haumaru – Level 2 Basic Guidelines

• A maximum of 100 people for indoor and outdoor gatherings.
• Kōhanga Reo can open
• Face coverings are mandatory inside most public places
• You can travel to other rohe that are at Alert Level 2 or lower
• Travel in to, out of, or through Alert Level 4 rohe (Tāmaki) is restricted
• Maintain good hygiene practices
• Keep 2m distance in public and in retail stores. There must also be 2m distancing in most other places like workplaces, cafes, and restaurants

For any further assistance, ring 0800 KOHANGA or 0800 564 2642

Kia whaioranga kia haumaru.

Nāku noa,

Angus Hartley

Tumu Whakarae | Chief Executive